The Happiness of Those Who Believe
by KousukeAsazuki
Summary: Eyes' thoughts as he slowly fades away and Kanone's thoughts when he finds his friend dead. EyesKanone and AyumuKousuke. Also some AyumuKanone lemon.
1. Chapter 1

Just a little note that I'm putting in here. I glanced over this fic for old time's sake and realized something: it sucks horribly. While the entire thing won't be rewritten, I will be editing some things and rewriting them, as well as combining a few of the chapters that are painfully short. In addition, I'm also cutting out the review replies and author's notes at the beginning and end of the chapters, as well as most of the ones I put into the actual story (since they seemed to take away from the moment in some cases). So, with that said, welcome to the revised (and hopefully better) The Happiness of Those Who Believe.

**Edit: **The lemon I said I was putting into chapter 23 clearly only half-happened. I must have been distracted or not paying attention. Anyway, with the new chapters (some being condensed, combined, etc.), it is now Chapter 24 and the lemon _is _there this time. Sorry about that. Enjoy!

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Eyes laid on his stomach in a rather large pool of his own blood, looking around to the best of his ability. He managed to pull out a small note pad and pen from his jacket and scribble something on it with his left hand since his right arm was conveniently broken at the time. Eyes couldn't help but smile the faintest bit to himself at the great irony in all of this. "I suppose I should have paid more attention when he tried to teach me to write with my left hand. I never thought it would truly come in handy." Eyes thought to himself, "Of course I was so naive back then...I'm not as foolish now, but that's not currently helping me. You would think being one of the Blade Children I would have gotten used to the idea of dying, when I was young I surrounded myself with death until Kanone came along, yet now sitting here realizing that I am truly about to die I'm...terrified. Maybe it's just because I'm alone. Though I've been alone my whole life, and he's been the only one to make me feel differently, but he's not here. And he's not coming to rescue me or help me, I am truly alone and it doesn't even matter because I'm about to die. Be that as it may, I don't think I would mind death as much, if he were here. Guess I'll finally have to accept my fate. Ironic how I have thrown that word around so much yet never bothered to really contemplate my own fate, it was always our fate, the fate of the Blade Children, and yet I am the only one dying. Facing my fate alone...that is what terrifies me so much."'With that final thought Eyes Rutherford closed his brilliant piercing blue eyes, now dulled from his impending death. His hand still grasped the pen he used to write out his note to Kanone, hoping beyond reason that Kanone would find it.

As Kanone entered the warehouse where Eyes lay dead, the brown haired Blade Child walked over to his old friend and gazed down at him, only the tinniest bit of sadness evident in his haunting eyes. And that sadness was not for the loss of his friend, but for the handwriting on the note pad. "I knew he never paid attention in those lessons," Kanone thought, sighing, "always complaining that he would never need them, well Eyes, my friend looks like you were wrong. Guess I won that bet."' Nonetheless, Kanone rolled Eyes over on his back and suddenly felt the urge to check for a pulse. He did. There was none. Of course, he had known there wouldn't be, but that letter was only meant to reach Kanone's eyes after his friend was dead, so he felt that he had to confirm it. Looking down at the letter Kanone became even more depressed. This time the content of the letter was the reason:

I wonder, what do you suppose it means, "the happiness of those who believe". That's what it means, or rather, what it symbolizes, correct? Purple irises. Happiness. Belief. Do we have the right to those things? Tell me, Kanone. Do we? No. Us sinners don't have those luxuries. At least we're cursed...together, right? I love you, Kanone. My angel, my deadly angel. I believe in you.

"Your deadly angel am I, Eyes?" Kanone asked the corpse, "Yes that's right, I was the deadly one, and you...you were the fallen one. You were my fallen angel, and it looks like you have finally crashed...how sad." Kanone had pulled Eyes into his lap when he turned him over and now he looked down at his friend's face. "I always thought when you died you were supposed to look peaceful," Kanone remarked, "but you just look...lost. And alone. Well, you never used to be Eyes, but now I'm afraid you are alone, in a world where I couldn't reach you even if I traveled to the brink of death. No I cannot protect you anymore." Kanone slowly bent down and kissed Eyes lightly on the lips, "I can't protect you, but I can still love you." As Kanone's eyes welled up with tears he smiled a little, "And I can still cry for you Eyes, so you will never have to." Kanone thought back to when he promised Eyes he could cry for him, right after his mother had passed away. "When I agreed to cry for you then, I never imagined this, though I suppose it was inevitable. But I don't mind crying for you Eyes, and I don't mind loving you." Kanone hugged his friend and held him tightly one last time before standing up and walking outside, tightly clenching the note in his hand.

Kanone took one look back to the body and looked down at the ground, "I do mind being alone, though."

Kanone had just left the warehouse and he was now intent on wiping the few, stray, unwanted tears from his eyes. "Well Eyes, I'm crying for you. But why does it hurt so much? Did I truly love you? Yes, of course I did." Kanone smiled faintly at this realization. He loved Eyes with all of his heart. "If only you'd known..." Kanone was lost in his thoughts for a few minutes until his cell phone rang. He sniffed one more time and flipped it open, "Yes?"

"Kanone? Where are you? The voice on the other end sounded panicked. Kanone recognized the voice as Kousuke's.

"I was just on my way home. I'm about two blocks from my apartment." Kanone lied, well no really. He wasn't sure where he was going, for all he knew he was going home.

"Well get to the hospital. Rio was ambushed by the Hunters. Get here now! And bring Rutherford with you!"

"Kousuke, I can't. Eyes is..." Kanone started to tell him the horrible news.

"I don't care where he is," Kousuke interrupted, "Rio wants to see him. I tried calling him but I didn't get an answer. Just bring him." And with that Kousuke slammed his phone shut and the line went dead.

On the other end Kanone stared at his phone with an expression of worry and annoyance, "That boy is so rude." Kanone commented to no one. Fortunately he wasn't too far away from the hospital and he got there in no time. As he entered the building he walked up to the receptionist's desk and began to ask for Rio's room number when he heard a familiar voice shout out his name.

"Kanone, over here!" Kanone turned to look at Ryoko.

"Ah, hello Ryoko." Kanone greeted her with a smile, "You're looking well."

Ryoko stared at him for a second in confusion but shook it off. "Come on. I might be fine but Rio is far from it." She turned to lead Kanone to Rio's room but stopped when she saw that Kanone had come alone. "Kanone, where's Rutherford? Rio's asking to see him."

Kanone got depressed at the mention of Eyes' name, "Eyes is..." He glanced at the receptionist and the others in the lobby, "Let's talk in private." Kanone said motioning for Ryoko to lead the way. The female Blade Child nodded and they arrived at room 27, Rio's room. As they entered, everyone's attention turned to them. Kanone scanned the room and saw that besides Ryoko and Kousuke, Ayumu and Hiyono were there as well. Kanone glared at Ayumu and got the same response back. The two men had somehow agreed to not kill each other, but the hatred was still strong between them and everyone knew it.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silences and stares of hatred, Hiyono broke the silence, "Hi Kanone, long time no see!" Hiyono smiled brightly.

Kanone glanced at Hiyono and nodded in recognition, "Hello, Hiyono." Kanone had never liked the girl, but it wasn't her bubbly personality that he found so annoying, though it could get tiring. No, it was her undying faith in Ayumu and the fact that she made Ayumu believe in himself that Kanone despised.

Ryoko piped up next, "So Kanone, you never told me. Why isn't Eyes with you?" Everyone's attention turned to Kanone, the same question on their minds.

"Eyes is...he's...dead." Kanone's eyes closed as he said this, as if he had only just then admitted it to himself. He looked up with tears in his eyes and saw their bewildered expressions.

"Wh-what?" Kousuke asked, "H-how?"

"A Hunter." Kanone replied simply. He surveyed the crowd and was not shocked by their tears, except for Ayumu's. Kanone expected Ayumu to be smiling smugly with a guess-you-can't-win-them-all look on his face. Instead Kanone found Little Narumi with his head bowed. "Little Narumi is upset?" Kanone thought, "Does he really care that Eyes is..." He stopped there, unable to finish the thought. '"No, I won't believe it. I couldn't have had him pegged wrong. Could I?" Kanone hated the self doubt that Ayumu was making him feel so he directed his thoughts elsewhere. He walked over to Rio's bed and placed a hand on her shoulder, "How are you doing, Rio?" Rio had had her fits clenched fighting back tears but when Kanone placed a hand on her shoulder she broke down and hugged him, burying her face in his chest, crying.

After Rio calmed down they all made idle talk until the nurse arrived announcing that visiting hours were over. Everyone bid farewell to Rio and made their way to their homes. Ayumu walked Hiyono home and as they stood at her door, she sighed. "What's wrong, Hiyono?" Ayumu asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I just can't believe that Eyes Rutherford is dead...it just seems so unreal."

"Yeah...but I guess it's more likely than anyone else. Him being one of the Blade Children and all. Well, goodnight, Hiyono. I'll see you tomorrow.

"Goodnight, Ayumu." Hiyono replied. She went inside and Ayumu was left alone to walk home.

When he got home, Ayumu called out to see if Madoka was home. He got no reply and just assumed she was working late, so he started to cook dinner. He was so lost in his thoughts that he barely noticed a knock at his door. It was already pretty late and he wondered who it could be. He left his food cooking and opened the door to find a pair of golden eyes staring back at him.


	2. Chapter 2

"Wh-what are you doing here, Kanone? What do you want?" Ayumu questioned the Blade Child.

"I hope I didn't startle you, Ayumu." Kanone replied, knowing very well that he would. "I just needed someone to talk to...about Eyes."

At the mention of the pianist's name, Ayumu became even more wary of Kanone's presence, "Why come to me? Why not talk to one of the other Blade Children about it. They're more likely to sympathize with you."

"I don't want them to see me like this." Kanone replied, "Besides, I don't want to upset them anymore than I already have. They all deeply cared for Eyes. But who wouldn't? He's a wonderful person. Or, he was..." With these words, Kanone cast his gaze down to the floor, trying to shut out the internal pain he felt.

Ayumu's food took that opportunity to announce it's presence by setting off the smoke alarm. "Crap!" Ayumu shouted as he dashed into the kitchen and turned the stove off, the alarm still blaring. Suddenly the beeping stopped and Ayumu looked over to see Kanone turning the migraine machine off.

Kanone turned to Ayumu and said, "I'll understand if you want me to leave..."

"No, stay." Ayumu said, seeing how vulnerable Kanone was, "Just give me a minute to finish cooking." Kanone nodded and sat down at the table. A few minutes later the food was done and Ayumu wondered why he had made so much. He shrugged the thought off and divided it evenly onto two plates, placing one in front of Kanone. The Blade Child looked at him questioningly and Ayumu shrugged, "Guess I made extra." That seemed to be enough to satisfy Kanone and they ate quietly until Ayumu realized why he had made enough for two people, _"Crap! That was Madoka's dinner!"_ Ayumu thought, "_If she gets home and Kanone is still here..."_ Ayumu visibly flinched at the thought of that confrontation, and also at the thought of having to make more food. Kanone noticed the change in Ayumu's attitude but ignored it. After they were both finished eating, Ayumu washed the dishes and stared at the empty sink, _"I've got to get rid of Kanone, fast. Madoka _cannot_ find him here."_ Ayumu contemplated simply telling him to go, but for some reason he thought that Kanone might hurt himself or someone else if he was shut out in the cold right now. As he started to turn around he heard a bone-chilling scream that was surprisingly high-pitched for Kanone,_ "Who'd have thought a killer would scream like a little girl?"_ Ayumu chuckled to himself.

Before he could do anything Ayumu heard a terrified voice calling out his name, "Ayumu! Get in here!"

_"Oh, crap!"_ Ayumu thought,_ "Madoka!"_ Ayumu raced into the living room and saw Kanone sitting in the same spot that Ayumu left him in and a terrified Madoka cowering in the hallway. "Madoka, when did you get home?" Ayumu hadn't heard her come in the door.

"I got sick at work and was sent home early. Ayumu, _what_ is _he_ doing here!" Madoka shouted, pointing a finger at Kanone.

Kanone stood up slowly which caused Madoka to flinch. "Ayumu, perhaps I should leave."

Ayumu saw how stressed Kanone was and walked over to him, "No, Kanone. Stay." Ayumu nodded as Kanone looked at him, _"Why am I asking him to stay? Why do I feel sorry for him?"_ Ayumu thought, but then turned his attention to Madoka. She had composed herself a little, but she was still visibly shaking and staring at Kanone. All of a sudden she fainted and Ayumu raced over to her shouting her name, "Madoka!" He picked up her head and checked her pulse. Kanone had stood up when she fainted and now he walked over to the two. Ayumu stood with Madoka in his arms and looked at Kanone, "She's really sick. I'll be out in a second." And with that Ayumu took Madoka into her bedroom. He walked out a minute later and sighed.

"Will she be alright?" Kanone asked.

Ayumu looked at him for a second trying to tell if he was being sarcastic or genuinely concerned. He decided he was somewhere in between and nodded, "Yeah, she should be fine."

Kanone had retired to the couch and Ayumu sat in a chair across from him, staring at him.

After a few seconds of feeling Ayumu's eyes on him, Kanone broke the silence, "I loved him."

Ayumu was a little shocked that Kanone had confessed such a personal matter to him. "You mean Eyes?" Ayumu asked, knowing the answer but unsure of what else to say. Kanone nodded and looked up at him. _"He looks so sad. He shouldn't be _this_ depressed unless Eyes didn't feel the same way, or else..."_ "He didn't know, did he?" Kanone slowly shook his head.

"I didn't realize until it was too late."

Ayumu joined Kanone on the couch and placed an arm across his shoulders, pulling Kanone closer. Kanone started to cry and hugged Ayumu, resting his head on the other man's chest. Ayumu softly kissed to top of Kanone's head and Kanone looked up at him. Ayumu bent his head down and gently kissed Kanone. Kanone closed his eyes and savored the kiss. He wrapped his arms around Ayumu's neck and positioned himself so that he was straddling the boy. Ayumu tried to list the number of reasons that this was so very wrong but there were too many. And he really didn't mind. He felt Kanone's tongue run across the bottom of his lip and Ayumu hesitated for a second then opened his mouth to allow Kanone to explore it freely. Kanone deepened the kiss and Ayumu let out a soft moan which startled him so much he broke the kiss. Ayumu was gasping for breath and Kanone smiled at him, "Ayumu, you're quite the kisser." Kanone bent down and whispered into Ayumu's ear, "I hope that's a reflection of certain other skills."

Ayumu only grinned at Kanone but he was terrified. _"What _other_ skills? I don't have other skills! That was my first kiss for crying out loud! Though I wouldn't mind Kanone exploring my other skills, he is kind of cute..."_ And before Ayumu could think anymore Kanone was kissing him again very aggressively and soon he had Ayumu on his back and was ripping his shirt off. Ayumu's thoughts briefly flashed to Madoka and knew there would be hell to pay if she stumbled upon those two. But his brain ceased to function after Kanone pulled his pants down. Kanone pulled away from Ayumu and kissed and licked his way down to Ayumu's steadily growing erection. He licked up and down Ayumu's shaft, sending the brunette into a moaning frenzy.

When Kanone had decided Ayumu was on the verge of an orgasm he stopped and positioned himself outside his entrance before pushing in quickly, whispering into Ayumu's ear, "Now try and keep quiet." Kanone, completely unaware that his Little Narumi was a virgin, pumped himself into Ayumu as hard as he pleased. Ayumu grunted and moaned as he experienced a mix of excruciating pain from being entered for the first time so roughly and intense pleasure from Kanone jerking on his member. He whimpered softly as Kanone thrust deeper into him, then let out another breathy moan as his prostate was repeatedly struck, sending waves of pleasure through his body. The submissive boy scraped his nails down the soft flesh on the elder's back, leaving deep marks that were sure to scar. Kanone hissed and slammed in harder to the small body underneath him, sucking roughly on his neck and biting it lightly. Ayumu moaned loud enough to shake the house when he came into Kanone's hand and then turned to jelly as Kanone pumped into him a few more times before his own gratifying release. Kanone slid out of Ayumu and rolled over, effectively falling off the couch and hitting his head on the table. Ayumu managed to drag himself to the edge of the couch and chuckle at Kanone. The Blade Child glanced up at him and sighed, smiling as he rejoined Ayumu on the couch. He didn't care; he had gotten what he wanted.


	3. Chapter 3

Ayumu slowly opened his eyes and stretched out lazily on the couch, yawning. He blinked a couple of times and tried to remember why he was on the couch, naked. _"Oh yeah, me and Kanone..."_ Ayumu looked around for the Blade Child and saw him standing in the kitchen. Ayumu quickly found his pants, got dressed and joined Kanone out in the kitchen, sneaking up behind him and wrapping his arms around the other man's waist. "Morning, Kanone." Ayumu whispered into his lover's ear.

Kanone turned his head slightly towards Ayumu and smiled, "Good morning Ayumu! Breakfast?" And so it was. Kanone had woken up a great deal earlier than Ayumu and had already taken a shower and cooked breakfast.

"Sounds great." Then a thought entered Ayumu's head, "Kanone, Madoka hasn't been up...has she? She hasn't seen you here, right?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes. She actually stumbled onto me while I was in the bathroom. She panicked a bit because I was still here, but I explained everything to her. You know, about last night. She started crying and ran out the door before I could calm her down. I'm sure seeing me naked didn't help matters either." At seeing Ayumu's horrified expression Kanone laughed loudly, "Relax, Ayumu, I'm joking! She hasn't been up yet. You should see the look on your face though!"

Ayumu recovered from his shock and quickly became angered, "That's not funny, Kanone! If Madoka finds out that you're still here, there'll be hell to pay!"

"Calm down, Ayumu. Your shouting will only wake her up sooner. I'll leave whenever you want me to." Kanone smiled sadly at him, then got serious, "You do realize that she'll find out about us sooner or later, though."

"I'll explain everything to her in time, but I should do it alone. In the mean time you shouldn't come around." At seeing Kanone's hurt expression he added, "But since you _did _make breakfast it would be wrong to make you leave before you ate."

"Alright, I understand." Kanone said, "I was planning on visiting Rio in the hospital anyway." Ayumu and Kanone fixed themselves a plate of food and sat down at the table.

"Are you going to tell the others about us?"

"I suppose, I don't see why not. Are you going to tell that excitable little friend of yours?" Kanone asked taking a bite full of food.

"You mean Hiyono?" Kanone nodded, "Yeah, I guess. I'm not sure how well she'll take the news though."

"You're worried about Hiyono? She supports you unconditionally, Ayumu. _I_ have to tell _Kousuke_."

Ayumu chuckled at the thought, then sympathized with his new found love, "Maybe we should tackle that one together." They both laughed at that and finished their breakfast in silence. As Kanone went to leave Ayumu followed him and as they reached the door a voice called out from her bedroom.

"Ayumu? Are you here? I need some water!" Madoka called.

"Be right there!" Ayumu shouted back, then to Kanone, "I'll meet you at the hospital with Hiyono in an hour."

"Alright, I'll contact Ryoko and Kousuke." Kanone gave Ayumu a quick kiss and then left. Ayumu shut the door and then ventured back into his house to deal with the sickly Madoka.

An hour later Ayumu arrived at the hospital with a confused Hiyono in tow. He searched the lobby and saw that Kanone had not arrived yet with the other two Blade Children. Ayumu checked his watch and saw that they were a bit early. He turned to Hiyono, "We're a little early, why don't you go wait in Rio's room? I'll be in when the others arrive."

"Alright." Hiyono agreed with a nod, "But I really wish you would tell me what's going on, Ayumu."

"You'll know soon enough. They should be here shortly so just go and talk to Rio for a little bit." And with that Hiyono nodded once more and set off for Rio's room, leaving Ayumu to wait in the lobby for the others.

A few minutes later he heard a voice, "Kousuke, you idiot! Why would Kanone drag us down here for that?" Then he saw Kousuke and Ryoko come through the doors and saw Kousuke rubbing the back of his head where Ryoko and just punched him.

"You know that really hurts, Ryoko! And you're gonna feel really stupid if I'm right about this. Am I right, Kanone?"

The two turned towards Ayumu's object of affection but he simply shrugged, "We'll, I guess you'll have to wait and find out, Kousuke. But would you care to make a wager on it?"

Kousuke stared at him dumbfounded, "Kanone, I'm not that much of an idiot, obviously you know whether I'm right or wrong and you'll bet against me and I'll lose!"

"I'll take you up on that wager Kousuke. My money's on bettin' that you're wrong." Ryoko announced.

"Huh? Fine, you're on!" Kousuke glared at Ryoko, "How much?"

"Hmmm...Seeing as you're short on funds, I can't bet a decent amount, so let's just say that whoever wins has to be the other's slave for a month!"

"Huh? But you already treat me like a slave!" Kousuke complained.

"True. But now, you won't be able to complain about it."

"Fine, it's a deal!" Just as they were about to shake hands Ayumu stopped them.

"What's going on?" He asked walking up to the group.

"Kousuke's got this stupid idea in his head that Kanone drug us down here to announce that he's got a boyfriend!" Ryoko informed Ayumu, "So we're making a bet, I'm saying he's wrong, and he's being stupid and whoever wins has a slave for a month."

"Really? I'll take you up on that bet. But sorry Ryoko, I'm going to have to side with Kousuke on this one. Kanone has always seemed a little fruity to me." Ayumu said, grinning at his boyfriend.

Keeping up the act Kanone simply glared at Ayumu, trying very desperately to keep back his laughter, he could all but predict what was about to happen. Then Kousuke piped up, "Huh? You're siding with me?" The redhead thought this over for a minute then got angry, "No way I don't _want _you on my side Little Narumi!"

"Too bad Kousuke, you got me."

His pride winning out over his common sense (what very little he had, anyway) Kousuke said, "Well if you won't change sides then I will!"

"What, Kousuke? That's stupider that what you were doing originally!" Ryoko glared at him.

"Whatever, I'm not siding with Little Narumi. No way, no how!"

Kanone could barely keep his laughter in so he let out an aggravated sigh instead, "Are you finished now?"

The three of them nodded and shook hands then something occurred to Kousuke, "Hey Little Narumi, what are you doing here anyway?"

"Just visiting a friend." Ayumu answered.

Kousuke wondered to himself if Little Narumi even _had_ any friends, but then that annoying girl came into mind and he figured it was something to do with her. "Well that's just fine, but if you're here visiting a friend then how are you going to know what Kanone drug us down here for?" Kousuke asked with a smirk on his face.

"Well I'm guessing you guys are visiting Rio, right?" They nodded, "Well, so am I. How convenient!" And with that Ayumu headed up to Rio's room with Kanone, Kousuke, and Ryoko following.

Once they were all in Rio's room all eyes were on Kanone. "Alright Kanone, spill it!" Kousuke demanded, "What's the news?"

Kanone smiled at them all and contemplated the best way to approach this. Simply telling them wouldn't be enough; no to get the full pleasure of their shock, they would have to know that Ayumu was in on the whole thing. Kanone could barely suppress his grin at the look on Kousuke's face when he found out he had to be Ayumu's slave for a month. After going over all of his options, Kanone decided a direct approach was the best choice, after all he didn't want to explain it all while dropping subtle hints and chance Kousuke not getting it; he gave the redhead enough credit as it was.. No something attention grabbing would be the way to go here, so he did just that. He walked over to Ayumu, grabbed the back of his head and started kissing him hungrily. Ayumu, pleasantly surprised at Kanone's actions didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around his lover's neck and return the kiss with a fierce passion. After they broke the kiss and stared at each other for a second, Kanone stepped back and they surveyed the crowd. Kanone saw the look on Kousuke's face and it ha been just as he imagined. Kanone started laughing so hard he bent over and had to catch his breath, he came up grinning knowing that the initial shock hadn't even come close to wearing off, and the redhead hadn't realized that he'd been manipulated into becoming Ayumu's slave.

The room was silent after Kanone's outburst until Rio spoke up, "K-Kanone? Are you two really...?" She stopped there, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

Then all of a sudden a fear struck through Ayumu and Kanone at the same time, what exactly _were_ they? Were they lovers, boyfriends, friends with benefits? What? They noticed a hole in their plan; they had failed to discuss exactly where they stood. Luckily for Ayumu, Kanone was able to regain his cool and put an arm around his...um...partner. "Yes, Rio. We are."

_"Smooth."_ Ayumu thought sarcastically, "_And what exactly would that _be _Kanone?"_

The Kousuke spoke up, mirroring Ayumu's thoughts, "You are..._what_?"

Ayumu wondered why Kousuke had taken such an interest in the details and before Kanone spoke Ayumu realized the exact bet: that Kanone had come here to announce that he had a new _boyfriend_. Ayumu saw what Kousuke was trying to pull and spoke up, "We're boyfriends, right, Kanone?" Ayumu gave his _boyfriend_ a little nudge and Kanone simply nodded and smiled.

"Damn it all! I can't believe I lost that bet! Why did I switch sides?!" Only then the realization dawned on him, "You dirty bastard! You were in on this whole thing! You _knew_ I'd switch sides! You cheated!"

"This lecture coming from _you_ Kousuke?" Ayumu chuckled, then looked to his other unfortunate prey: Ryoko. She too had lost the bet, but she had been silent, lost in thought.

"You know Ryoko," Ayumu said to get her attention, "you lost that bet as well, which technically means I have two slaves."

"I'm aware of that." Ryoko replied, not quite bitter, but definitely not happy, "I just can't believe that..." She stopped there and shook her head.

"It may get some taking used to." Kanone said supportively, "But it's not going to change."

"No, not you two, that I can understand. I've grasped that concept, I just can't believe that...that..."

"That _what_?" Kousuke asked.

Ryoko turned to him, "I can't believe that _you_ _were right_!"

That fact settled in and Kousuke smiled smugly, "Yeah, guess I was!" He then proceeded to laugh and gloat.

"Hey Kousuke," Ayumu began and Kousuke turned to him, "no gloating under _my _watch..._slave_!"


	4. Chapter 4

The next day at school Kousuke was sneaking around to his classes trying to avoid Ayumu at all costs. "Damn that little Narumi, thinks he can make a slave out of me!"

"Hey, Kousuke. What are you doing you idiot?"

Kousuke turned around to see Ryoko standing behind him, "Oh, Ryoko, it's only you. I'm hiding from that damn Ayumu. There's no way he'll make me his slave!"

"Kousuke, you're so stupid!" Ryoko punched him in the head which caused Kousuke to yell out rather loudly and attract unwanted attention.

"So there you are, Asazuki!" Ayumu walked up to the two.

Upon seeing Ayumu, Kousuke jumped up and ran and hid behind Ryoko.

"Kousuke, you _do_ realize that you're hiding behind me, right?" Ryoko glanced at him.

"Yes, I do. Don't let him near me, I won't go willingly!" Kousuke was glaring at Ayumu who was just chuckling.

"Really, Kousuke, you're kind of pathetic. I never expected a Blade Child to cower in fear from little ol' _me_. I thought I was supposed to be your salvation or something like that."

"Pathetic?" Kousuke blew up and emerged from his hiding spot. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but when we first met weren't _you_ cowering behind that Hiyoko girl. And from a little bee nonetheless!"

"THAT'S HIYONO!" Hiyono appeared next to Ayumu, with steam coming out of her nose.

"Whatever." Kousuke said dismissively, "Listen Little Narumi, I'm not going to be your slave! There's no way I'll reduce myself to that."

Ryoko hit Kousuke in the head again and turned to Ayumu, "Well, Ayumu, I lost that bet too, so I'll do whatever you ask. Just nothing too extravagant, okay?"

"Actually Ryoko, I'm gonna let you off easy. All you have to do is convince Kousuke to hold up his end of the deal."

"What! You're gonna let her off that easy and make me your slave! Little Narumi you cheated in the first place so I shouldn't have to listen to anything you say!" Another hit by Ryoko was all it took to change Kousuke's mind, "Fine, but I'm not going to do anything degrading so get that out of your head right now!"

"Of course Kousuke, I'm not cruel." Ayumu chuckled.

Kousuke just glared at him, "So what exactly do I have to do?"

The previous night Ayumu was laying in his bed in Kanone's arms, softly kissing his lover's neck. Kanone smiled down at Ayumu, "So what do you have planned for Kousuke and Ryoko's punishments for losing that bet?"

Ayumu looked up at Kanone and smiled, kissing the Blade Child, "Well I'm sure that Kousuke won't go easily, so I figure since Ryoko has a sort of leash on him, I'll just make her have him obey me."

"Is that all for her?" Kanone asked, surprised at Ayumu's leniency.

"Yeah, Ryoko doesn't bug me, but I can't think of something bad enough for Kousuke, everything I come up with seems to easy-going on him. Any suggestions?"

"Think Ayumu, what bugs Kousuke more than anything?"

"You mean besides me?" Ayumu thought for a moment, "Well I guess having to show any sort of respect to anyone. Especially me."

"Exactly. Kousuke the sort of boy that acts out on instinct and when his instincts tell him to do something and he's forced to do the opposite of that, it drives him absolutely insane."

"Well what did you have in mind?" Ayumu asked, "Just having Asazuki respect me doesn't seem like enough."

"No, but if you were to somehow show the entire school that Kousuke has respect for you, It would probably kill him."

"But how am I going to do that? No one even knows who I am."

"Right but Kousuke is pretty popular with the ladies, am I right?"

"I guess," Ayumu thought of all the times he had seen Kousuke flirting with some girl, "though I hate to admit it, Asazuki is quite the ladies man. How in the world will that help me though?"

"Ayumu you need to use that brain of yours more, I can't give you all the answers. A lot of students read that newspaper that your friend writes up correct?"

"Yeah, I guess. Kanone what are you..." Ayumu looked up and saw the evil glint in Kanone's eyes. Kanone started telling Ayumu of his plan, and for the first time since Ayumu met Kousuke, he felt sorry for him.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, Little Narumi? Answer me!" Kousuke stared impatiently at Ayumu with his arms crossed deciding that he did _not_ like the grin that the brown haired boy had on his face.

Ayumu stared innocently at Kousuke, "What could you possibly be talking about, Asazuki?"

"You're loving this _way_ too much for your own good, Ayumu. Just tell me what you want." Ayumu was standing at Kousuke's door, grinning at the Blade Child, "C'mon! I'm tired and _not_ in the mood for this right now."

"Why not, Kousuke?" Ayumu walked into Kousuke's home and looked around, "This place is a wreck." Ayumu grinned even more evilly, if that was possible, "Clean it."

"WHAT?" Kousuke was blindsided, "You can't just come into _my_ house and tell me to clean it!"

"Actually for the next four weeks, I _can_. But you better hurry, it's already three in the morning, we've got to be at school in four and a half hours. But I'm sure you can do it." Kousuke mumbled but saw no way out of it, so for the next four hours he cleaned the house; _all_ of it. When he was done he collapsed on the couch next to Ayumu who had been lounging around and barking orders. "Good job, Asazuki." Ayumu complimented his slave, "And with a half an hour to spare. Just enough time to make me breakfast!"

Kousuke just glared at Ayumu, "Little Narumi, aren't _you_ the cook?"

Ayumu pondered this and then agreed, "True, but I don't really feel like cooking, so get to it. I want a whole meal, too. Don't half-ass it."

"But I've only got enough food for me. If I feed you then I won't have anything, and I'm hungry and tired!" Kousuke argued.

"Wow, you sure can complain. Just go and buy some breakfast for yourself."

"I'm broke from buying Ryoko lunch everyday!"

"That does put you in quite a situation. I suppose if you begged me I'd share some of the wonderful food you're about to cook for me. Oh, and don't forget about my lunch. I also promised Hiyono I'd have a lunch for her today as well."

"But I don't have that much food, I'll starve!"

"This is what you get for going against me. You switched sides and made that bet of your own free will. Now you have to live with the consequences. Oh, and now you only have 20 minutes. Better hurry!" Kousuke stared at Ayumu with hatred, but obeyed and made breakfast. he somehow had enough food left to make Ayumu a lunch but none left for Hiyono. Ayumu decided to let Kousuke slide, but as punishment he made Kousuke watch him eat, while insulting the cooking even though he was surprised at how good of a cook the Blade Child was. The first half of the day, Ayumu let Kousuke off pretty easy. All he made him do was carry his books around from class to class. Even though Ayumu was asleep on the roof the entire time. Ayumu actually went to his last class before lunch and when the bell rang he returned to his beloved roof to find Kousuke asleep, "Yo, Asazuki." Ayumu said as he approached Kousuke, nudging him with his foot, "Where's my lunch?"

Kousuke slowly turned over and looked up at Ayumu, "It's in your backpack, where else would it be?"

Ayumu looked down at his backpack which was laying right beside his feet then back at Kousuke who had turned back over. Ayumu began tapping his foot, "Well?"

Kousuke remained with his back to Ayumu and mumbled, "Well, what?"

"Aren't you going to get it for me? I don't feel like bending down." Kousuke reached behind him and grabbed the bag and lifted it up a couple of inches before dropping it on Ayumu's foot. Ayumu looked from the bag to Kousuke and was about to comment before he took in Kousuke's appearance. The boy was huddled on the ground shaking; he had broken out in a cold sweat and was breathing heavy. Ayumu kneeled down beside Kousuke and turned him on his back. Kousuke opened his eyes and tried to talk but Ayumu stopped him, "Don't talk. Save your energy. Can you sit up?" Kousuke struggled but managed to sit up. Ayumu rummaged through his things, found his lunch, and handed it to Kousuke. Kousuke didn't ask any questions or object, he just grabbed the food and ate it all in a matter of seconds. Ayumu had his hand on Kousuke's back and now wrapped it around the older man's shoulders, "Can you stand up?'

Kousuke didn't answer, he just leaned into Ayumu and mumbled, "Tired." Ayumu asked his question again and Kousuke nodded his head. Slowly Ayumu helped Kousuke get to his feet and then led him to the Newspaper office where he instructed Hiyono to get a wet cloth and put it on Kousuke's forehead. He also got a bottle of water to keep Kousuke from dehydrating. After he got the sick boy settled in he went up to the roof to call Kanone.

"Hello?" Kanone answered.

Ayumu smiled at his lover's voice, even when they were enemies he always loved Kanone's accent. "Hey, it's me. Are you busy?"

"Ayumu? No, what is it? Is everything okay?"

"It's Kousuke. I found him on the roof during lunch. He's really sick and I was wondering if you could come and pick him up from school."

"Are you sure this isn't just some act to get out of being your slave?" Kanone asked, " And since when have _you_ of all people been worried about Kousuke?"

"I doubt Asazuki is this good of an actor, and I wouldn't care except I think it might have been my fault. So will you come?"

"Of course, but you owe me one."

"Don't worry, I'll pay you back tonight." Ayumu said in a seductive voice. Kanone chuckled at this and they both said goodbye.

Kanone shut his phone and grabbed his coat. He opened his door and came face to face with... "Eyes?" Kanone whispered and blinked a couple of times. No his eyes weren't deceiving him, it was his childhood friend, the one he had cried for because he was dead. "But, h-how is this...you're...I..." Kanone simply stared at his deceased friend.

"Hello, Kanone." Eyes greeted him, "Miss me, did you?"


	6. Chapter 6

Kanone stared at Eyes in awe, "But h-how is this possible, Eyes?" He still couldn't get over the fact that his best friend, not to mention his first and only love (besides Ayumu that is) was standing in front of him, not dead in some warehouse, rotting away. Kanone had felt slightly guilty for leaving Eyes there but he had called the police and reported that some one had been shot. After that he left.

"I wasn't quite dead when the ambulance arrived." Eyes replied simply.

"Ambulance?" Kanone then remembered that he had reported someone _shot_, not dead. "I see, but you were so cold..."

"It's the middle of January, Kanone," Eyes said, surprised at his friend's nativity, "of course I was cold."

"But you had no pulse, I checked myself. I wouldn't have made such a mistake, Eyes, you know that." It was true, Kanone hardly made such fatal mistake especially when dealing with Eyes.

"It was very faint, not even the doctors could find it until they hooked me up to a machine." Eyes then noticed that Kanone had his coat and keys, "Were you going somewhere?"

Kanone stared at him for a second and then remembered Kousuke, "Yes, but it's not important, if you want to come in..."

"No, go do whatever you have to, I have some things I need to take care of as well." Eyes was a bit hurt that Kanone hadn't mentioned his note that he had left. _"Maybe he doesn't love me, it's possible. He could have at least mentioned it, though."_ Eyes thought, _"Perhaps it just slipped his mind, me coming here must have been a bit of a surprise."_ Eyes only then realized the meaning behind Kanone's interrogation, "You were the one that called the ambulance?"

"Yes, of course I did. Eyes, I couldn't just leave you to rot in a warehouse somewhere. I felt bad enough not staying until they arrived, but I couldn't take seeing you like that."

Eyes remained silent for a moment then looked up at Kanone, a little afraid to speak the next words that came out of his mouth, "Then...you found my letter?"

Kanone was taken back by this question and confused for a brief moment before he realized the letter he had found that day, "Yes, I read it. Eyes, I never knew you felt that way about me. Why?"

Eyes snapped his head up at Kanone, "Why? Why, what? Why do I love you? Because you're the only thing I think about. Everywhere I go everything reminds me of you and I wonder about you constantly. Where you are, what you're doing, if you're hurt. When I'll see you again." Eyes was furious at Kanone and he didn't even know why. Yes he did, because Kanone knew that Eyes loved him, but had made no intention of returning the feelings, "I love you because you're the only person I've ever trusted, Kanone. You're the only person that could hurt me, and you're the only person who has." Eyes had calmed down now and was looking at the ground once again.

Kanone stared at Eyes with his mouth hung open before he realized that Eyes didn't think Kanone returned these feelings. _"I've hurt him? But how? Duh, because he doesn't think I love him. But i do, and he needs to know that. So why am I only thinking these things and not saying anything?"_ Then another thought entered his head, _"Ayumu. I love him just as much. But I will deal with him later, I can't let Eyes leave like this."_ And that's exactly what Eyes was doing he had turned to go but Kanone put a hand on his shoulder to stop him, "Eyes, wait."

"I've got business to attend to, Kanone, and so do you, we'll speak later." And with that Eyes walked off. Kanone could only stare after him as Eyes disappeared out of sight. Kanone knew it wouldn't be hard to track him down, so he knew they _would_ speak later, he wasn't worried about that. He just felt horrible about how Eyes had run off. Thoughts of how he was going to explain this to Ayumu returned to his head and he realized he should have been at the school by now. He got into his car and drove off.

At the school Kanone walked in through the main doors and immediately located Ayumu, which wasn't hard considering the brown haired boy was running over to him calling his name, "Kanone, over here." Ayumu reached Kanone before grabbing his hand and giving him a quick kiss, "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, I...ran into an old friend on my way over here. So, how's Kousuke?" Kanone asked, faking concern to change the subject.

"Like you care." Ayumu said jokingly, calling Kanone's bluff, "Anyway he looks like death, I don't really know what's wrong with him."

"Then how do you know you're responsible?" Despite all that had happened, Kanone was still on his game and wondered if Ayumu didn't even know what was wrong with the Blade Child, how he could automatically assume he was responsible.

"Huh? Oh, well I went over to his house this morning and made him clean it and then had him cook me breakfast and lunch, but there was none left for him. So he hasn't had much sleep and even less food. I figure that's got to be part of what's wrong with him."

Kanone listened to all this and then busted up laughing, "Ayumu, you went over to _his_ house and made him clean it? The made him cook all of his food for _you_? You're brilliant!"

Ayumu grinned at this, "Yeah, and you should have seen the look on his face!" At this Kanone laughed even harder.

After he composed himself Kanone asked, still grinning, "So what should I do with him? Any special requests?"

"Just don't dump him in a warehouse anywhere and leave him to die. Take him back home or something, you can do that right?" Ayumu looked over at where Kanone should have been to see his lover was missing. He looked around to find Kanone a few steps behind him staring straight ahead frozen to the spot. Ayumu walked back to Kanone and looked at him, "Hey, Kanone? You okay? What's wrong?" Ayumu waved his hand in front of Kanone's face a couple of times but that failed to get his attention as well.

"Huh?" Was all Kanone said. He had frozen at the warehouse comment and immediately thought back to his conversation with Eyes. _"I still have to tell Ayumu about that, somehow. But Rio will be glad that Eyes isn't dead, the rest will be happy as well, I'm sure."_ Kanone then realized that Ayumu was kissing him. He wasn't sure why but he wasn't going to complain, so he returned the kiss. As soon as Ayumu felt Kanone pull him closer, he broke away. "What was that for?" Kanone asked following Ayumu the rest of the way to the Newspaper Office where Kousuke was being kept.

"You weren't answering me. What happened you acted like someone had just shot you or something."

Kanone flinched at the shot comment but ignored it, everything had always reminded him of Eyes, he couldn't stop dead in his tracks every time he was reminded of the silver haired pianist. They entered the Newspaper Office and Hiyono looked up and greeted Ayumu and Kanone. "Hey guys!"

"Hey Hiyono, "Ayumu said, walking over to Kousuke. He glanced at the red head to confirm that he was still alive the looked back to Hiyono, "has he gotten any better or worse?"

"No, not really. He hasn't said much, just asked for water once. Do you know what it is?"

Ayumu shook his head and looked at Kanone questioningly. As usual his boyfriend had all the answers, "It's just the flu." He said looking at the other two as if they were retarded. His attention turned towards Ayumu, "I can't believe the two of you didn't know that. Haven't you ever gotten the flu before?" Hiyono just shook her head and Ayumu shook his as well, looking a bit embarrassed that he didn't know what was obviously such a simple fact. Kanone laughed a bit at him and hugged him, "It's okay Ayumu, there's no reason to be embarrassed. Not everyone has to deal with sickness, you're lucky." Then Kanone thought a minute, "So, do you know what's wrong with Madoka?"

Ayumu's head snapped up and thought for a second, "Actually she's exhibiting all the same symptoms as Asazuki, do you think she has the flu too?"

"Could be, it is highly contagious. In fact we shouldn't even be around Kousuke right now, this whole room probably needs to be disinfected." He chuckled at the look of panic on the other two's faces, "Don't worry, I'm just kidding, it's not that bad. It is contagious, but you two should be fine, though Ayumu you do spend a lot of time around Madoka..."

Ayumu just glared at him, "So, are you gonna take him or not?"

"Of course, I told you I would." Kanone walked over to Kousuke and yanked him roughly to his feet and slid his right arm under Kousuke's right arm to support him, then instructed Kousuke to put his left arm over Kanone's shoulders, which he just barely managed to do.

Kousuke looked up to see who was moving him and when he saw Kanone he glared, "What are you doing here? Don't tell me you are going to school now."

Kanone laughed and adjusted Kousuke's weight so it was easier to carry him, "No, not at all. Ayumu asked me to come and take you home. He said that you were in no condition to be at school, and I think I'm going to have to agree."

"I don't need your help, _traitor_." Kousuke pulled away from Kanone and ended up getting one step closer to the couch before he collapsed in a pile on the floor. Kousuke was the only one who had yet to forgive Kanone for siding with the Hunters. Kanone had tried to apologize to Kousuke once but the redhead would have none of it. He avoided Kanone as much as possible and never accepted any help from him.

Kanone looked a little hurt but then just looked angry he turned to Ayumu, "Well, there you go. I tried, sorry Ayumu, looks like you'll have to take care of this one on your own." Kanone went to leave but Ayumu grabbed his wrist, "Just wait a second okay?" Kanone turned back around and stared at Ayumu waiting for him to continue. Seeing that Kanone was staying Ayumu went over and shook Kousuke awake. He had made it back to the couch with Hiyono's help and had fallen asleep.

"What?" Kousuke mumbled, eyes still closed.

"Kousuke," Ayumu began.

Kousuke eyes flickered open and he glared at Ayumu, "No, Little Narumi. Why can't you just let me be? I don't trust that bastard, and I don't see how you could! He tried to kill you, too!"

"Asazuki, calm down or you'll faint again. And I'm not asking you to go with Kanone..." Kousuke raised an eyebrow at this comment, then realized what was coming, "I'm telling you to."

Kousuke groaned and stumbled to his feet, barely making it to Kanone before his legs failed him yet again. Fortunately Kanone caught him and smirked, "Now then Kousuke, let's get you out of here." Kousuke just grumbled as he made his way out of the school, leaning on Kanone as little as possible, then realizing that he was probably heavier than the other man, put as much weight on him as he could before Kanone slapped him in the back of the head and told him to walk right. "Stop leaning on me so much, Kousuke."

"I'm unstable, I can't help it!" Kousuke complained, "Besides, I don't have to do what _you_ tell me, you didn't participate in that bet."

"Because _you_ wouldn't let me." Kanone countered, "You only bet because Ryoko challenged you."

"Shut up, Kanone. My head hurts. Probably from you slapping me!"

"You'll get over it, Ryoko hits you all the time."

"Not that hard!" The two went on like this for a while and Ayumu walked back inside, thinking that maybe Kousuke was just being stubborn when he said he didn't trust Kanone.

After school Ayumu went to find Hiyono, but surprisingly enough, she was nowhere to be found. _"That's odd," _Ayumu thought, _"That girl is always around, even when I don't want her to be."_ He thought for a second and then corrected himself, _"No, _especially_ when I don't want her to be."_ Giving up on his search, Ayumu headed home. When he got there Madoka was awake and he cooked dinner and she fell back asleep soon afterward, claiming she still didn't feel good. Ayumu promised to take her to the doctor's tomorrow and then left, heading over to Kanone's. When he got there the door was locked, which never happened.


	7. Chapter 7

Ayumu fished out his key to Kanone's apartment and turned it in the lock. Before he opened the door he hesitated, _"What if Kanone locked the door for a reason?"_ he thought, _"I don't want to intrude on anything personal...wait, what the hell am I talking about, yes I do! And besides, I'm his boyfriend, anything this personal he wouldn't mind _me_ seeing, right?"_ And with that he pushed open the door. Everything was dark and it looked like Kanone wasn't home. _"Well, that would explain it. Of course he would have the door locked if he wasn't home. But where could he be? Oh well I'll just wait for him here."_ Ayumu was just about to see if there was anything in the fridge so he could make him and Kanone dinner, but before he got to the kitchen he heard a sound coming from the bathroom. Silently Ayumu snuck to the bathroom door and took a peek in. He tried to see if there was anyone still in the bathroom, but steam was filling up the place. Ayumu tried the bedroom next and found a form lying under some covers. Ayumu grinned and snuck up to Kanone's bedside and laid down beside his lover. He reached an arm over and wrapped it around the other male. He snuggled into Kanone's hair before realizing how..._dry_ it was. _"If he just got out of the shower, then why is his hair dry? And he has been asleep for a while, who the hell was in his shower then?"_ Ayumu nuzzled his face into Kanone's soft hair, "Hey, Kanone? Are you awake?" Ayumu gently shook Kanone.

"Hmmm? Oh, Ayumu...hello..." Kanone said, turning over and opening his eyes. Once his brain began to function correctly his eyes snapped open and he sat straight up, "Ayumu? What are you doing here? How did you get in, I thought I locked the door..."

"Well the door _was_ locked, but you gave me a key, remember? I just came over because I was bored. Aren't you happy to see me? I can leave if you want..."

"No, don't leave. Of course I want you here!" Kanone gently kissed Ayumu, "I was just surprised to see you here, that's all. You woke me up and..."

"So you've been asleep for a while?" Ayumu asked, concerned.

"Yes, I decided to take a nap. Actually," Kanone glanced at the clock, "I've only been asleep for about a half an hour."

_"So there _is_ someone else here, but who?"_ Ayumu grew even more concerned and looked at the door which he had shut...and was now open. Ayumu gasped and stood up.

Kanone looked up at Ayumu, confused, "Ayumu? Is there something wrong?" Kanone glanced at the door and saw nothing out of place. _"At least he hasn't seen Eyes yet. That would be bad, but I think he suspects something. If he found out what I did..."_ Kanone grew alarmed at the thought, _"He would never forgive me! He'd leave me and he'd hate me...again. I've got to get him to leave."_ Kanone grabbed Ayumu's hand, which caught the boy's attention, "I'm going to back to sleep Ayumu, why don't you go home. You need to take care of Madoka anyhow. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Kanone pulled Ayumu into a kiss and then laid back down, "I'm sorry for sending you away like this, but I'm exhausted." Which was true, Kanone _was_ exhausted, but for reasons Ayumu could never find out about.

"Kanone..." Ayumu said worriedly, "I think there may be someone else here..."

"Huh? Ayumu what are you talking about, I had the door locked and you're the only other person that has a key. There's no way anyone else could be here."

"Kanone when I walked past the bathroom it was so steamy that I couldn't see a thing. Someone had just used that shower."

"It was me. I took a shower before I laid down." Kanone said, hoping that Ayumu wouldn't remember that he had said he had been asleep for a half an hour already.

"But you said you've been asleep for a while." Ayumu said, now suspecting Kanone of hiding something, "There's no way it would be that steamy after a half an hour. Kanone, what is going on? Are you trying to hide something, or better yet _someone_ from me?" Ayumu was now angered by suspicions that he wasn't sure were even accurate.

Kanone looked up at Ayumu, sighed, and walked over to his boyfriend, "Now Ayumu, that's crazy. Do you think I would cheat on you? You're the best thing that ever happened to me. You've helped me to turn my life around, why would I risk losing that. Besides," Kanone kissed the nape of Ayumu's neck and then whispered in his ear, "You're the best sex I've ever had."

Ayumu blushed at this comment and then got serious, "Well if you didn't let anyone else in here, then someone has broken in. I'm absolutely sure there's someone else in here." And with that Ayumu broke out of Kanone's embrace and walked out into the living room.

Kanone called after him but Ayumu ignored him and Kanone sat on the bed, waiting for Ayumu to come back in with a look of shock, disgust, hatred, or betrayal on his face, _"That's the last time he's ever going to let me hold him..."_ Kanone thought sadly, then got up to face whatever happened next. As Kanone walked out into his living room he saw Eyes and Ayumu standing there, staring at each other. Eyes' look was of pure jealousy (or maybe it was just annoyance...you can never tell with him) while Ayumu was simply shocked.

Eyes' gaze shifted to Kanone and Ayumu turned to look at him as well, "Kanone? Wh-what... what is he doing here? I t-thought you said that he was..."

"I thought he was Ayumu." Kanone said, realizing that maybe he could get through this without revealing to Ayumu that he and Eyes had slept together, "Apparently I was wrong. Eyes is stronger than I thought. He came here earlier and I couldn't just turn him away, you understand, don't you? Eyes is my friend and I couldn't just tell him to leave..." Kanone was babbling trying to convince Ayumu that he had done nothing wrong.

This, however, only made Ayumu more suspicious, "Yeah, Kanone, I understand. Of course I do." Ayumu looked at Kanone's pleading eyes one more time, _"Maybe he's telling the truth. I don't have any reason to believe that he would be unfaithful, but..." _"Kanone, why did you lie to me?"

Kanone stared at Ayumu in shock, _"He figured it out, but how?"_ Kanone decided to play dumb, "What do you mean Ayumu? I haven't lied to you..."

"You told me that you hadn't let anyone else in. Why wouldn't you tell me about Eyes?"

"Oh, that...Well Ayumu, I just...I wasn't sure you would understand. It's not that I don't trust you, I...I didn't want anyone to know yet, actually. Not until me and Eyes got everything sorted out."

"I see." Ayumu looked at Eyes then back to Kanone, _"I still can't tell if he's lying to me. I want to believe him, but...there's just something...he's acting so...nervous. Kanone is never nervous. There's still something he's not telling me."_ "Why'd you have the door locked, then?"

"Well I didn't want Rio or one of the others barging in here and seeing Eyes, what would they think?"

"Rio's in the hospital and Kousuke is home sick as a dog. That leaves Ryoko, and I get the feeling she wouldn't just barge in here. So there's no reason for you to lock the door." Ayumu said, _"Why won't he just admit to lying? What's he hiding? He wouldn't have possibly..."_ Ayumu gasped, remembering Kanone's confession the first time he walked into Ayumu's apartment:

_Flashback_

_After a few seconds of feeling Ayumu's eyes on him, Kanone broke the silence, "I loved him."_

_Ayumu was a little shocked that Kanone had confessed such a personal matter to him. "You mean Eyes?" Ayumu asked, knowing the answer but unsure of what else to say. Kanone nodded and looked up at him._ "He looks so sad. He shouldn't be this depressed unless Eyes didn't feel the same way, or else..." _"He didn't know, did he?" Kanone slowly shook his head._

_"I didn't realize until it was too late."_

_End Flashback_

"_If I thought that the only person I ever loved was dead and suddenly I had them back, I wouldn't hesitate. Kanone wouldn't have made the same mistake twice. He and Eyes must have..."_ Ayumu headed towards the door. _"If they can be happy together then...I don't want to get in the way of that.'"_

"Ayumu?" Kanone called after him, "Where are you going?"

Ayumu opened the door and turned back to Kanone, "You and Eyes still have stuff you have to work out, I don't want to get in the way. Besides, I should be home, taking care of Madoka." Ayumu turned to leave, not looking at Kanone, "I'll...talk to you later, right?"

"Of course you will. I'll call you. Ayumu, I love..." Kanone was interrupted by Ayumu slamming the door shut.

"_He doesn't love me. What's worse is he thinks he got away with it. Does he think I'm that stupid?"_ Ayumu thought as he ran home with tears in his eyes.

Back in Kanone's apartment Kanone turned to Eyes, "He knows, doesn't he?"

"I would say so, yes." Was Eyes' answer. He didn't look the least bit sorry that he had just ruined Kanone and Ayumu's relationship. _"They wouldn't have lasted anyway."_ Eyes thought, _"They hated each other before I was attacked. I wonder what brought them together, Kanone never said."_

Kanone looked at Eyes then went to sit down on his couch, "Do you think he'll forgive me?" Kanone asked, hopefully, _"How ironic, I never thought we had any hope. But Ayumu changed that, now the only thing I _can_ do is hope."_

"I don't know." Eyes replied. Seeing that Kanone wanted more comfort than that he continued, "Little Narumi has obviously learned to believe in himself." Kanone looked at Eyes questioningly, "If he honestly loves you and believes that with all his heart, then he won't be so easily pushed away."

Kanone smiled slightly at Eyes, "You really think that?" Eyes simply nodded. "Thank you, Eyes."

Seeing that Kanone was still uneasy Eyes walked over to him and sat next to him, "Kanone, if you really want to, you should go find him."

Kanone looked at Eyes, "No, I'm actually still kind of tired." Kanone blushed, Eyes was _really_ good in bed, _"No. I can't think like that. I love Ayumu. But I love Eyes, too. Eyes is the only reason I'm with Ayumu. I went to Ayumu for comfort after I thought Eyes was dead, I owe Eyes everything. And I did love him first, but if Ayumu won't take me back, will Eyes?"_ Kanone groaned at the thought of losing them both.

Eyes looked at Kanone and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer. Kanone rested his head on Eyes' chest and then looked up at the pianist. Eyes looked down at Kanone and kissed him softly, "We agreed that it was a one time thing. I love you, Kanone. But you're happy with Ayumu." As much as it hurt Eyes to say these words, it was the truth, "You're much happier with him than you could ever be with me."

Kanone sat up and looked Eyes straight in the eyes, "That's not true, Eyes. I loved you first. You...you're the only reason me and Ayumu are together."

Eyes narrowed his eyes slightly at this, "What do you mean by that?"

Kanone sighed, "After I found you, I...I went to Little Narumi for comfort. At first it was just for sex. I had never had you and when I realized I never would, I got so depressed that I needed to be with someone...anyone. I wasn't thinking quite clearly and I ended up at Ayumu's. The next thing I knew I was waking up on his couch. So you see Eyes, I only ever loved you, I just grew fond of Ayumu. I'm still not sure to this day if I truly love him, and if I do it's not as much as I love you."

Eyes just stared at Kanone, "Well if you love me more, then why are you still with him?" Eyes had grown quite possessive of Kanone all of a sudden and wanted him if Ayumu didn't deserve him, "Why didn't you just break it off with him earlier?"

Kanone looked at Eyes, a little angered, "Because you were the one who said it was a one time thing. You said you didn't want to put me and Ayumu's relationship at risk."

"That was before I knew all of this, Kanone. If you love me more and I love you, then why should you be with Ayumu?"

"I just...I don't want to hurt him, Eyes. I might not love him as much as you, but that doesn't mean I want to hurt him."

"You've already hurt him." Kanone looked at Eyes suddenly, "It's obvious he's figured out that we've slept together. The best thing you can do right now is find him and admit it to him." Eyes stood and walked over to Kanone. He hugged Kanone and whispered in his ear, "Then forget about him and come back to me. You hated him before this and you can do it again. I won't give you up without a fight." Kanone looked at Eyes for a second and then nodded. Without another word Kanone walked out the door in search of Ayumu.


	8. Chapter 8

As Kanone left his apartment, he wondered where Ayumu would go, _"Back home?" _He thought, _"It's possible. Where else could he have gone?"_ As Kanone searched the streets his mind led him to other thoughts, _"What did Eyes mean when he said he wouldn't give me up without a fight, I wonder? Does he intend to fight with Ayumu over me? Could be, ever since we we've been little he's always been possessive of things he knew were his." _

**_Flashback_** (A/N: Eyes is 6 and Kanone is 7, can you imagine...so cute!)

"Eyes? Eyes, where have you run off to?" Kanone called for his friend, "Where could he be?" Kanone asked himself, searching every inch of his backyard.

"Kanone! I'm over here!" Kanone turned to see Eyes running up to him, waving a hand.

Kanone waved back and waited for Eyes to reach him, "Eyes where have you been, it's getting late." Kanone scolded Eyes. He was overprotective of the younger boy, he knew this. But he didn't want to see Eyes get hurt and he just seemed so... _fragile_.

"Sorry, Kanone." Eyes looked down at the ground and then back up to his friend, "You're not mad at me, are you?" Eyes admired Kanone, like a older brother. Kanone's opinion mattered more than anyone else's; he didn't want Kanone upset with him.

"Mad?" Kanone asked, slightly shocked. Eyes had never done anything to anger Kanone. Kanone didn't think it was possible for Eyes to do anything wrong, at least not on purpose or without reason. "I'm not mad at all, Eyes." Kanone hugged his friend, "I just worry when I don't know where you are, you know how protective of you I am."

"I know Kanone. I didn't mean to worry you, I'm sorry."

"Eyes stop apologizing. You've done nothing wrong." Kanone's attention turned towards an object in Eyes' hand, "What do you have there?"

Eyes looked down at his hand and then opened it to reveal a small pink conch shell, "I found it down by the lake. I liked it so I took it." Eyes explained.

Kanone smiled at Eyes, "It's lovely. Do you mind if I have it? It can be my birthday present."

Eyes stared at Kanone, "Your birthday isn't for another month, Kanone."

"True, but you _can_ give birthday presents early, you know. So? Can I have it?"

"You mean...to keep?"

"That would be the idea, yes." Kanone looked at Eyes, "It would mean a lot to me."

Eyes handed Kanone the shell, "Sure, Kanone. Happy...happy birthday." Eyes' voice was barely a whisper. Eyes was staring at the ground as he started to cry. He really liked that shell, he wasn't sure why, he just liked it. Why did Kanone have to ask for _that_ of all things? After all, it had been _his_.

"Eyes, are you okay?" Kanone looked concerned as he placed as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Eyes flinched at the touch and mumbled, "Yes, I'm fine." before he ran off towards the house.

Kanone chased after him and ran to Eyes' room. The younger boy had locked himself in his room and Kanone could now hear him crying through the door. Kanone knocked softly, "Eyes, can you open the door? I want to talk to you." Eyes opened the door and Kanone looked at him confused, "Eyes, what in the world has you so upset?" Kanone hugged Eyes and Eyes sniffed before whispering into Kanone's ear.

"Th-that shell was mine. I found it. Did you really have to take it?" Eyes confessed, he knew there was no sense in lying to Kanone, the older boy could always tell when he was lying.

"Eyes..." Kanone whispered. He took a step back and looked at Eyes who was looking at the ground, "If it means that much to you I'll give it back. I just..."

"No, Kanone." Eyes sniffed once more and looked up at his friend with a smile on his face, "I...I don't mind if you keep it."

"Are you sure? I'd forgotten how you get when people take your things. I don't want to end up in the hospital." Kanone said jokingly...sort of. There had been an incident a few months ago where some kid in Eyes' class had tried to take a toy that Eyes was playing with. The two got into an argument and Eyes punched the kid, breaking his nose. No one ever bothered Eyes after that, even the teacher was afraid to tell him 'no'.

"That kid was rude." Eyes defended himself, though it was unnecessary. Kanone supported Eyes on his actions, telling him to always stick up for himself. "Nothing you like you, Kanone. Besides, it's for your birthday. You can have it, I don't mind as long as it's you, Kanone...but only you, okay? Don't ever give it away."

"I would never do such a thing, Eyes."

"Promise?"

Kanone hugged Eyes one more time, "I promise, they'll have to bury it with me." While this comment may have disturbed some, it comforted Eyes who leaned into Kanone's embrace.

**_End Flashback_** (Kind of long flashback, huh? Oh well, back to the story!)

Kanone smiled back on this memory and thought of how much his dear friend has changed through the years, _"Eyes wouldn't be caught dead crying or smiling now. He's so cold...but I still see emotion in him, even when others don't. I know it's still there."_ As Kanone reached Ayumu's apartment he took a deep breath, _"Will he even talk to me? Will he let me explain?"_ Kanone knocked on Ayumu's door and got no response. He knocked again and heard some shuffling from the other side, "Ayumu? Is that you? It's Kanone, can I talk to you?"

Kanone heard a response that could have been interpreted as "Hold on" so he did. A moment later he saw a sleepy-eyed Ayumu staring...no _glaring_ at him, "What do you want, Kanone? I thought you'd be with Eyes."

"Are you at least going to let me explain?"

"No. I've got a pretty good idea of what's going on. I'm okay, really. I just want to go to sleep. Good night, Kanone." Ayumu tried to shut the door but Kanone stopped it with his hand and walked inside. "What are you doing? I told you to leave me alone."

"I want to talk Ayumu, you need to understand what happened." Kanone shut the door and sat on the couch.

"I don't need to understand anything, Kanone. You really don't need to worry about me, I'm fine. Really." Seeing that Kanone wasn't leaving until Ayumu heard him out he sat in a chair facing Kanone. _"This is just like the night the first time that we..."_ Ayumu shook his head, _''No, that's over now. Kanone is only here to break up with me. To make it official so he doesn't have to feel guilty."_

"Ayumu I just want to say first off that I'm not here to end our relationship."

Ayumu looked up at Kanone, _"He really never ceases to amaze me."_ Ayumu thought, "Okay then, Kanone, why _are_ you here. You _did_ sleep with Eyes, correct? So why aren't you breaking up with me when it's obvious who you'd prefer?"

"Yes, I...did sleep with him." Ayumu winced at this and Kanone felt a pang of guilt, "Ayumu, I care for both of you, but I did love Eyes first. He's the only reason..."

"That we're even together." Ayumu finished, "Yeah, I know. And you obviously love him more, Kanone. If you didn't then why would you risk me finding out about you two. You wouldn't have been _that_ careless."

"Perhaps you're right, maybe I do love Eyes more. But I don't want to hurt you, Ayumu. I still care about you."

"Do you even love me?" Ayumu asked, deadly serious.

Kanone had to think about it for a minute, unfortunately Kanone always preferred to think out loud, so that's what he did. "Well initially, no. I only went to you for a release. I only planned on using you for a night then never talking to you again. I don't know what happened after that, I suppose I just grew attached to you. If Eyes had never come back then I think I would have fallen in love with you, but right now, I'm honestly in the dark about it. I have no idea." Kanone thought about what he had just said then looked at Ayumu, "That's about the gist of it. I know if we stay together that I will fall in love with you. But a part of me will always love Eyes, you have to understand that now."

Ayumu took a minute to absorb all this information, _"He was just going to use me? But he didn't. Why? What is so special about _me_? And can I believe him when he says he will love me eventually? I'm willing to wait if there's a chance, but..."_ Ayumu looked at Kanone to clarify that this wasn't a joke. When he saw Kanone's concerned face studying Ayumu's he decided that the Blade Child was serious, "I've never been one to fight for anything, I've always given up and run away, admitting defeat. But then again I've never had anything worth fighting for. If what you say is true and you will eventually love me as much as I love you, then I'm willing to fight for you."

Kanone brightened up at this, "Really, Ayumu? Then does this mean that...you...forgive me?" Kanone looked up at Ayumu hopefully.

"I...think I understand why you did what you did. Even though I don't approve of this kind of behavior, I understand that you love Eyes and seeing him again after you thought you wouldn't see him ever again...I can get over it, eventually." Ayumu thought about what he just said, and decided it was the truth for the most part, _"At least I hope I can get over it."_ He thought sadly, _"I love Kanone, despite what he's done. I don't want to have this grudge against him."_

"Ayumu?" Kanone asked, getting the boy's attention, "There _is_ one small problem. Eyes is just as determined as you are, and he is convinced that you don't deserve me and he will fight for me. You do understand he won't give up easily?"

Ayumu only nodded and Kanone walked out the door. When he was sure Kanone was gone he flipped open his cell phone and dialed a number. The person on the other line picked up, "Hello?"

"Rutherford." Ayumu said in a harsh tone, "You won't win Kanone that easily. I won't back down from this."

"Ah, Little Narumi." Eyes said, just as coldly, "Alright then. Let the game begin." With that both men shut their phones and went off to prepare for their final game.


	9. Chapter 9

Ayumu walked to the meeting place he had arranged with Eyes. He had no idea what the pianist had in store for him, but he was going to go along with it, if it meant being with Kanone. As Ayumu looked around looking for any traps Eyes may have set up he spotted a box. It wasn't too big to be anything dangerous, but not small enough not to be wary of. Ayumu approached the box carefully and as he reached it he slowly opened it up. _"I really hope this isn't a bomb. If it is I might be making a big mistake. On the other hand I might need to open it up, there could be something useful in here."_ There was no bomb in the box, in fact the box was completely empty. "Huh?" Ayumu looked up just in time to see a foot coming at his head. Ayumu wasn't fast enough to dodge and got kicked square in the temple, knocking him back a few feet. His attacker waited until Ayumu regained his senses and looked up at him, "Wh-what the hell?" Ayumu looked up to see Eyes standing a few feet away from him, calm as ever. _"No, he's not the same. He seems different, but how? He looks...dangerous."_

"Did you think I was going to play a game with you and give you a chance at getting away with Kanone unharmed?" Eyes asked, his voice laced with anger, "Don't insult me Little Narumi. If I don't kill you, then you win. Those are the rules."

"What are you..." Before Ayumu could understand what was happening Eyes was on him again pinning him to the ground, punching him in the face ruthlessly. Ayumu somehow managed to knee Eyes in the gut and push the white haired teenager off him and scramble to a safe spot a few feet away. _"He's not kidding!"_ Ayumu thought, gingerly touching a sore spot on his head, taking his hand away and noticing it was coated in blood, _"He's really serious about killing me! At least putting me in the hospital. I never thought Eyes was like this, he always seemed so calm, but now he's totally different."_ Then Ayumu remembered something that Kanone had told him back when they were still enemies. It was right after their showdown and Ayumu was convinced that he had won. Kanone was saying something about believing in yourself and asking Ayumu if there was something that could shatter all of that, what did he say? Right, 'nothing beats pure violence' or something like that. Are all the Blade Children like this deep down? All of a sudden Ayumu realized that he had been thinking for way too long and looked up to see Eyes pointing a gun at him, _"Oh, shit!" _Ayumu was frozen to the spot.

"I told you that you weren't going to get away easily Little Narumi." Eyes said as he approached Ayumu. Ayumu just glared at Eyes and instead of simply shooting him, Eyes hit Ayumu across the face with the barrel of the gun. Ayumu momentarily blacked out and then heard a gun shot. Then the pain registered. Ayumu grabbed his left leg and shouted out in pain. The shot was nowhere near fatal, Ayumu knew that. But that didn't change the fact that it hurt like hell! He also realized that this meant he was immobilized. He tried to stand once and failed miserably, falling to the ground and crying out in pain. Eyes smirked and threw the gun to the side, he wouldn't need it anymore. He wanted Ayumu to suffer for ever even _considering_ touching _his_ Kanone. "Still want to fight for him, Little Narumi? Is he really worth it? I didn't come here to give you a fair chance. I'll give you one more chance at life, since I know Kanone would hate me if I killed you, but if you _ever_ touch him again, I won't hesitate to kill you. Understand?" Ayumu nodded weakly.

He was getting light headed at the loss of blood and tried to reach for the cell phone he knew was in his pocket, _"No, no! Don't tell me I left it at home, how could I be so stupid?"_ Ayumu knew he needed an ambulance soon or he would be dead in a matter of minutes.

Eyes knew this as well and smirked again at Ayumu, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his own cell phone, handing it to Ayumu, "I expect that back." And without another word Eyes disappeared into the darkness. Ayumu quickly flipped open the cell phone and immediately realized that was a big mistake. He saw a timer on the phone start counting down from 10 seconds. Ayumu tried to throw the phone away but it wasn't soon enough. The phone exploded with an alarmingly large blast and knocked Ayumu unconscious.

Ayumu opened his eyes slowly and moaned at the pain that reached him. He gripped his leg where he had been shot and groaned once more, realizing that was a bad idea. A new wave of pain rushed through his leg and up his back. Ayumu looked around at his surroundings and saw he was in a hospital room. _"Guess that means I'm not dead."_ Ayumu thought. He looked in front of him and saw someone sitting with their head in their hands, clearly concerned for the hospitalized boy. Ayumu then realized who it was, "K-kousuke?" Ayumu said, barely finding his voice. It hurt just to breathe, Eyes had really done a number on him.

Kousuke's head snapped up at the mention of his name and he quickly reached Ayumu's bedside, "Ayumu? Are you okay?" Kousuke was very worried, more so than he should have been.

"Yeah...I think so, what happened? Did you find me?" Ayumu then noticed that Kousuke wasn't sick anymore, "Are you feeling better?" Ayumu asked, sounding more concerned than he wanted to.

"Don't worry about me, I'm good as new. And yeah, I did find you. You scared the crap out of me, you know."

"Sorry...I guess. But why are you so worried about _me_? I thought you didn't like me."

Kousuke shook his head, "I thought you were supposed to be the smart one." His voice wasn't harsh or insulting though, just relieved.

Ayumu stared at Kousuke and thought for a second, realizing that it hurt his head though, he stopped, "What are you talking about, Kousuke?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Ayumu?" A blank stare answered his question. Kousuke sighed and bent down, placing a soft kiss on Ayumu's lips. Kousuke drew back, expecting to be hit or at least slapped and told to leave. Instead he was met with a different stare.

_"What...what the hell just happened?' _Ayumu asked himself, _"Did Kousuke actually just kiss me? And what's even more weird...did I _like_ it?"_ Ayumu cleared his throat, "Um...Kousuke...I..."

Kousuke looked up at Ayumu sadly and smiled, "Don't worry about it, Ayumu. I know you don't like me, I just figured it was best to tell you now, where I could at least get a running start before you tried to kill me." Seeing that Ayumu's face seemed to be frozen in that shocked gaze Kousuke decided to change the subject, "So, what exactly happened to you?"

Ayumu snapped back to reality, "Huh?"

Kousuke motioned to Ayumu's leg, "I mean what the hell happened to you, unless you're into self-mutilation, which I doubt you are...unless you are. Are you?"

Ayumu shook his head, "What are you talking about, Asazuki? I didn't do this to myself, you idiot." Seeing Kousuke's slightly hurt expression at the insult Ayumu felt guilty. The poor boy had just poured his heart out to Ayumu, the least he could do was be civil to him, "Sorry. I just meant that I didn't do this to myself. And no, I'm not into self-mutilation."

Kousuke sighed, "Well that's good. Not that I thought you were or anything, I just..." Kousuke stopped and took a deep breath, "So who's the idiot whose gonna get his ass kicked for doing this to you?"

Ayumu looked at Kousuke, "Asazuki, don't go do anything stupid, okay?"

"Me? Stupid? Ayumu, come on, you know me better than that." Kousuke joked, trying to lighten the mood. he soon grew serious once again though, "Tell me who did this to you."

Kousuke's voice was so reassuring that Ayumu honestly wanted to tell him everything, so he did. Why shouldn't he? "It was Eyes." Ayumu confessed.

The red head gasped, "Rutherford? Ayumu, are you going crazy?"

"I know, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to just attack someone, but he did it for..."

"Hold up, Narumi. I'm not talking about that. I mean, true, Eyes was never the most aggressive person; especially now. Ayumu you were there when Kanone told us. Rutherford's dead."

Ayumu looked up at Kousuke, _"Crap, I'd forgotten Kanone told me not to tell anyone. Well there's no sense in taking it back, I guess I should just tell him everything. It's not like it matters if Kanone is mad at me or not, I'll never be able to see him again, not with Eyes around."_ Ayumu took a deep breath and explained everything to Kousuke; how Eyes really hadn't been dead, how Ayumu had found Eyes at Kanone's apartment, how Kanone confessed that he still loved Eyes and had slept with him, how he and Eyes had set up a meeting to sort everything out, and how Eyes had attacked him. Once Ayumu was done explaining everything, he looked to Kousuke.

The Blade Child simply stared for a few seconds, "Wow, so Rutherford's alive? And he did this to you...because of Kanone? Damn him! He's still causing trouble. First he tries to kill you, not to mention all of us, and now he's getting Eyes to do his dirty work for him, I bet he set all of this up. It's probably just a part of his twisted plan. That bastard!" Kousuke ended up punching the wall next to him to vent some of his anger.

Ayumu placed a hand on Kousuke's shoulder which seemed to calm the angered teen down a bit, "Kousuke relax. Don't be mad at Kanone, I really don't think he planned any of this. How could he know that Eyes wasn't dead and that he would go to such extremes?"

Kousuke settled back down into his chair next to the hospital bed that Ayumu was in, "I'm sorry Ayumu, I just...I don't like to see you hurt. And it's so easy to blame Kanone, I still hate him for what he did to us...and you. He's just not my favorite person."

"I can only imagine. Seeing as how you feel about me, there's really no reason you _should_ like Kanone." Ayumu laughed a bit which brightened Kousuke up.

"That's a nice sound, your laugh. I've never heard it before. Well at least not when you weren't torturing me." Kousuke chuckled a bit at this and smiled sadly, _"At least he hasn't said anything to harsh to me, maybe he feels bad for me. I don't want his pity...just him."_

"Kousuke?" Ayumu's voice broke Kousuke out of his thoughts. When Ayumu was sure he had Kousuke's attention he continued, "I've never really thought of you in a romantic way, so I'm not quite sure how to react to this. I never would have thought in a million years that you'd like me like that. I actually thought you hated me. I really don't know what kind of answer to give you. I'm not sure I feel the same way about you, but...I don't think that I _don't_ like you. it's confusing..."

Kousuke stopped Ayumu's babbling with another kiss, this one a bit more forceful, _'This should make up your mind.'_ Kousuke thought. Then pulled away and waited for Ayumu's reaction.

Ayumu decided to submit to Kousuke, _"He _is_ kind of cute in a weird way, I guess. And he seems nice enough when he's not trying to kill me. Besides, I need a way to forget about Kanone."_ And with that last thought Ayumu pulled Kousuke into another passionate kiss. Kousuke complied with Ayumu's demands and wrapped his arms around his new love's neck and deepened the kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

Eyes walked into Kanone's apartment, a small bead of sweat dripping from his hairline. Kanone looked up from a book he was reading, "Oh, hello, Eyes." Kanone went back to reading, "Where have you been?" At hearing no reply, Kanone looked back up to Eyes. The pianist was looking at Kanone, a hint of sadness in his eyes, "Eyes? Where have you been?" This time the question was a demand for information.

Eyes walked past Kanone and paused before leaving the room to go to sleep, "I told you I wouldn't give you up without a fight, Kanone. Ayumu learned that the hard way." Eyes then went and laid down, falling asleep immediately.

"Eyes?" Kanone called from the living room, worry evident in his voice. Kanone got up to wake his lover but his phone rang, stopping him. Kanone removed it from his pocket and flipped it open, "Make it quick."

"Is that how you always answer your phone? That's not a good way to make friends." The voice on the other line scolded, "Are you busy?"

"Kousuke." Kanone identified the voice, "And what would _you_ know about making friends?"

"I happen to be very popular!" Kousuke whined, "Forget it, answer my question."

"And you say I'm rude." Kanone muttered, "What do you want? And... how did you get my number?"

"Ayumu gave it to me. He asked me to call you, but if you're busy..."

"Where is he?" Kanone interrupted, "Is he alright?"

"Well..." The voice on the other end hesitated.

"Kousuke..." Kanone said in a warning voice.

"I've got to say, Eyes really did a number on him. By the way, tell that bastard to watch his back." Kousuke sounded angry and Kanone was confused, which he didn't like.

"What happened. Kousuke, answer me!" After hearing only silence, "Kousuke where is Ayumu?"

"He's at the hospital. Eyes attacked him. If you don't know what happened I shouldn't be the one to tell you. Ask your boyfriend, and stay away from Ayumu, you don't deserve him." With that Kousuke shut his phone and glared at it for a second, deciding whether or not it would be a bad idea to hurl it against the wall. He decided against it and walked back into Ayumu's room.

"Hey." Ayumu greeted him, "Did you talk to Kanone?"

"Yeah, but Ayumu, I really think you should stay away from him. He's done nothing but cause you pain. I don't want that for you."

"Kousuke I understand you're concerned for me, and that's very sweet of you. However, I still need to talk to Kanone."

"_Why?"_ Kousuke thought, _"Why does he need to talk to him? Aren't I enough?"_ Kousuke shook his head and sighed, "Fine then Little Narumi, do what you want. Excuse me for caring."

"Wait, Kousuke! What..."

"Just forget about it, I'm sure Kanone will be on his way down here, so you can talk. I'll be back later, I have some business to attend to anyway, I'll see you later, Ayumu." And with that Kousuke left in search of some way to vent his anger...and he knew just how.

Kanone rushed into the hospital and ran up to the receptionist's desk, "I need the room number for Ayumu Narumi."

"Let's see, Narumi you say. Hmm..." The woman at the desk typed in some information, "Ah, here he is. Ayumu Narumi; Room 234. It's on the second floor, you can take that stairway right over there." She pointed to a nearby staircase.

"Thank you." Kanone said as he ran up the stairs. Kanone scanned the room numbers until he found Ayumu's. In his haste he never forgot his manners and knocked, "Ayumu, it's Kanone."

"Come in." Was the reply he got.

Kanone walked into Ayumu's room, shut the door, and rushed over to his bed, "Are you okay, Ayumu? What in the world happened?"

"You mean you didn't ask Eyes about it?" Ayumu said a bit bitterly.

"Eyes? No, he was asleep by the time I got Kousuke's phone call. I tried waking him up, but he seemed very exhausted. Ayumu tell me what happened."

"Are you happy, Kanone?"

"Happy? Ayumu, you're in the hospital, how could I be happy?" Kanone asked, dumbfounded.

"I mean with Eyes, are you happy with him. You love him, right?"

"Ayumu, we've already had this discussion. Right now I'm concerned for _you_. Now what exactly are you hiding from me?"

Ayumu sighed, _"How does he always manage to turn our conversations in his favor?"_ Ayumu wondered. "Kanone, all I'm going to tell you is that Eyes attacked me. He did it because he doesn't want us together. I seriously think he intended to kill me. If Kousuke hadn't found me..."

"Eyes did this? But..." Kanone remembered back to his conversation with Kousuke, _"That's right. Kousuke said Eyes was involved in all this. So Eyes tried to kill Ayumu to keep him away from me. Eyes, why did you do this? Why couldn't you just trust me when I said I loved you?"_ Kanone sat down next to Ayumu and grabbed his hand, "Ayumu, I'm truly sorry that this happened. I had no idea Eyes would do anything. He did say he wasn't going to give me up, but I had no idea he would do anything this drastic."

_"Does he not know that Eyes and I set up a meeting. Does he not know anything about that?"_ Ayumu thought a bit more and then turned to Kanone, "Kanone, did Eyes say he was going to meet me to discuss anything yesterday?"

Kanone thought a moment, "No, he was acting strangely, but when has Eyes ever acted normal?"

Ayumu smirked at this, "Eyes and I set up a meeting. he wanted to play a game to see who would win you and who would back off."

"W-what? Are you serious? Ayumu, why would you agree to something like that?"

"Because I...I love you, Kanone. I was willing to risk everything for you. Eyes never specified any rules for the game. He only told me a meeting place. When I got there he was waiting for me, and then he..." Ayumu trailed off.

"I can't believe he would do something like this. Did he think it would make me love him more? He can be so foolish sometimes." Kanone sighed and looked sadly at Ayumu, "Don't worry, Ayumu. I'll get this all sorted out."

"Kanone, don't do anything to risk what you have with Eyes. I...I don't want to see you unhappy."

"Don't worry, Ayumu. I can handle Eyes myself." Kanone leaned down and gave Ayumu a soft kiss. He looked at Ayumu and smiled, "I miss doing that."

"I do, too." Ayumu was going to say more, but then he remembered Kousuke, "Kanone, I hope everything works out for all of us." Kanone only smiled at Ayumu, afraid to say anything more. He got up and walked to the door, raising a hand in farewell before leaving the hospital.

When Kanone returned home, he unlocked his door and opened it halfway before it thudded against something. Kanone looked down at the object blocking his way, _"Is that...a foot? What the...Oh, no."_ Kanone slipped inside his apartment and ran over to the unconscious form on the floor, "Eyes? Eyes, wake up!" Kanone shook his lover a bit harshly, "Eyes! Damn, who did this?" Kanone looked around and saw nothing out of place, _"It doesn't look like there was a struggle and it doesn't look like a robbery...why would someone just break in to attack Eyes? And who? No one could possibly know he was staying here."_ Kanone pulled out his cell phone and called an ambulance. After the ambulance left, Kanone grabbed his coat and keys and headed out the door, unable to ride in the ambulance since he wasn't family to Eyes (in the hospital's eyes, anyway).

Before he could open the door, though, he heard an all too familiar voice, "Yo, Kanone. Where are you headin' off to in such a hurry?"

Kanone turned around and glared at the person inside his apartment, still submerged in the shadows, "What are you doing here? Did _you_ attack Eyes?"

The person laughed a little, "Yeah, that was me. You can't say he didn't deserve it though."

"What do you want? I'd say you've finished your business here."

The mystery figure stepped forward, "Not quite..."


	11. Chapter 11

"Tell me, Kousuke, what other business could you have here. You obviously attacked Eyes because he attacked Ayumu correct? Well, you certainly don't think _I_ would hurt Ayumu, do you?"

Kousuke glared at Kanone," I'm really not sure about that." He said, warily, "And yeah, I attacked Eyes because he hurt Ayumu. But why do you care _why_ I attacked Eyes? Shouldn't you be getting revenge for your boy toy instead of asking questions?"

"You'd do best to watch what you say, Asazuki. I've got no problem killing you if you prove to be a problem." Kanone growled.

"I knew it!" Kousuke exclaimed, "You say you've changed, but you still sound like those damn Hunters!" Kousuke suddenly realized that Kanone was probably not the best person to pick a fight with, "And you never answered my question."

Kanone decided to ignore the Hunter comment, at least for now, "And what question would that be?"

"Why exactly do you care _why_ I attacked Rutherford, it seems like you should be pummeling me into a bloody pulp." Kousuke immediately regretted what he said, _"Ok, I probably _shouldn't_ be giving him ideas!"_

"Why do _you_ care if Ayumu is hurt? Last I checked you couldn't stand him."

"You really shouldn't answer a question with a question, it's really annoying. And it's none of your business why I care if Ayumu is hurt. You two aren't together anymore. He doesn't concern you, so just back off. _"Damn,"_ Kousuke thought, _"This isn't how I pictured this going at all. I just suspected he would be pissed and start fighting with me. I've still got a huge grudge against him. He's responsible for everything that has happened to us and Ayumu. I just want to knock him out, but my only chance is a surprise attack. He'd probably even see _that_ coming. I didn't think this out very well."_

"So you like Ayumu, is that it?"

"I said back off!" Kousuke was getting defensive, _"Why does he always have to know everything? It's _really_ annoying!"_

"Does he...feel the same?" Kanone asked, uncertain, _"Even though it would probably be for the best, it would still hurt if Ayumu had gotten over me that fast."_

"Damn." Kousuke sighed. When Kanone was determined to find something out, he got what he wanted, "He doesn't really know. I think it's because of you...he really likes you." As much as it hurt to admit it, it was true. Ayumu was still in love with Kanone, that's why he was being distant with Kousuke.

"I see..." Kanone said, a bit sadly, buy happily as well. _"So he still loves me. That makes me happy, I still care for him as well. However, Eyes...I can't just dump him. I love him with all my heart, what in the world should I do? Give up Ayumu and risk him hating me, or leave Eyes and risk my best friend never talking to me again. And also potentially killing the man I left him for. I suppose it would be best for everyone if..."_ Kanone sighed, "Kousuke, there's no reason to fight. We'd only be hurting Ayumu, whatever the outcome."

"Whatever." Kousuke dismissed Kanone, secretly happy that the older, not to mention frighteningly stronger and better at fighting, Blade Child had chosen the high road. Kousuke walked past Kanone to the door, "I'd hate to have to fight you, Kanone. But if you are the reason that Ayumu keeps getting hurt, I'll have to do something about it." With that Kousuke opened the door but before he could leave it was slammed shut by Kanone. Kousuke turned to look at Kanone and recognized the look in his eyes. It was like before when they were all younger. Kousuke, Rio, and Ryoko would constantly fight and it would piss Kanone off to no end, even though he never really did anything about it, it still wasn't a good idea to make him angry. That was back when all the Blade Children lived together. Kousuke missed those days, even if Kanone was always glaring at him for fighting with the girls, or worse when he would make fun of Eyes or Kanone behind their backs and got caught. Kanone was so protective of Eyes...it was scary. That was the look Kanone had in his eyes now...that if he wouldn't have been missed by his friends, Kanone would have killed him. But Kousuke wasn't sure anyone _would_ miss him, _"'Would Ayumu miss me?"'_ Kousuke wondered.

Kanone snapped Kousuke out of his thoughts, "Don't you ever say anything like that again, I would _never_ do anything to put Ayumu in danger. Don't you forget you aren't the only one who cares for him, Kousuke."

"I might not be the only one who cares for him, Kanone. But you haven't once said that you love him. I love Ayumu. Why else would I risk coming here, attacking Eyes, and potentially getting my ass kicked by you; maybe even getting killed if you were in a bad mood? I did it for love, the same reason Eyes attacked Ayumu, and the same reason you _should_ have attacked me." Kousuke paused for a moment, "Why _didn't_ you attack me, I thought you would have been a lot more upset than this."

"If you must know, I was trying to get you to leave so I could go see how Eyes was. I'm very worried about him and I don't feel like fighting with you right now. One of us has to be mature here, Kousuke, or else we would all just go around beating each other up, it's barbaric. I honestly thought Eyes was above all this..."

Kousuke had no idea why, but he suddenly felt sorry for Kanone, "H-hey, wait a minute, Kanone. Eyes only did it because he loves you." Kousuke stepped forward and placed a hand on Kanone's shoulder, "We should get to the hospital anyway. We've talked enough for today, but what I said still stands. If you hurt Ayumu again, whether it be indirectly by way of Eyes or directly by breaking his heart, I'll have to make you pay."

"How am I supposed to break up with him without breaking his heart?" Kanone asked, seriously disturbed that he was asking Kousuke for help. "If he loves me as much as you say he does..."

"He'll have me." Kanone gave him a skeptical look as if to say 'why would he be satisfied with _you_ when he had _me_?', "Hey!" Kousuke complained, "I can be a nice guy, and I think Ayumu really likes me, if it weren't for you he would admit it too!"

Kanone smiled at Kousuke, _"If there's one thing that boy has, it's confidence."_ "Alright, Kousuke, let's go."

Kousuke nodded, "Alright." On the way out Kousuke yelled, "Shotgun!"

Kanone just chuckled and slapped him in the back of the head, "Idiot. Kousuke that only works if there's more than two people."

"Huh? Oh, well. At least I'm sure now that you're not going to lock me in the trunk."

"Why in the world would I do that?"

"Because I know you Kanone." Kousuke pointed a finger at said boy, "And that's just something you would do."

"For your information, I have never locked anyone in my trunk."

"And for _your_ information, I know that's a lie. You locked Rio in the trunk once." Kousuke said, smugly.

Kanone stared at him for a minute, trying to figure out what the hell he was talking about. Then remembering the incident he chuckled, "Kousuke, I hate to tell you this, but I didn't lock Rio in the trunk. She was hiding from you because you had had too much coffee and you were scaring her. Honestly, you were scaring _me_."

"What?" Kousuke shouted, "I thought...but...Is that why you didn't let me drink anymore coffee for a while?"

"Yes." Kanone answered, bluntly but honestly. When they reached Kanone's car Kousuke was still fuming that he had been cheated out of his coffee for so many years. His rant was interrupted by Kanone telling him to get in the car. Kousuke eyed the trunk suspiciously for a second then got in the passenger side, and they sped off to the hospital.


	12. Chapter 12

Kanone and Kousuke rushed into the hospital's waiting room, "Okay, Kousuke. You go talk to Ayumu, I'll deal with Eyes." Kousuke nodded and the two went off to find their partners.

Kanone walked into Eyes' room to see Rio sitting by the pianist's bedside. Rio looked up when Kanone walked in and now she ran over to him and hugged him, "Kanone! Do you know what happened?" She cried, looking up at him, "Eyes won't tell me anything."

Kanone looked from Rio to Eyes, who was sitting up in his bed looking out the window, and then back again, "Yes, Rio. I know exactly what happened. I'll explain everything in a second, okay?" Rio nodded and Kanone walked over to Eyes, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Eyes said, a little bitterly, "And where have you been?" He now turned to Kanone and gave him a look that said he knew exactly where the other man had been when he was being attacked.

"I was here," Kanone confessed, "talking with Ayumu. Eyes, what you did was..."

"Save me your lectures, Kanone." Eyes interrupted, "I know what I did and why I did it. I have no regrets other than I didn't kill him."

Rio had been listening patiently to the conversation, but now she stepped in, "Kill who? Eyes? Kanone, what's going on?" Rio had been hospitalized until earlier this afternoon. She was just on her way out when she saw Eyes being carried in on a stretcher. She knew nothing of Ayumu's attack, or even that Eyes hadn't been dead. When she finally got the chance to talk to him, he told her that the Hunter hadn't killed him, but he conveniently forgot to mention attacking Ayumu, or that he and Kanone were together.

_"This isn't working.'_ Kanone thought, _'There's too much to tell everyone, and who knows how well Kousuke's handling Ayumu and whoever might be with him."_ Kanone turned to the grey-haired girl, "Rio, will you wait outside for a moment?"

"But, Kanone..." Rio started to object.

"I promise I'll explain in a minute. I just need to talk to Eyes first."

After Rio left Kanone turned to Eyes and started to explain everything but Eyes cut him off, "I haven't much to say to you, Kanone. And if you decide to side with Little Narumi on this, then there's nothing you need to say to me."

Kanone waited a second longer to make sure Eyes was finished and then spoke, "Eyes, I'm not siding with Ayumu on anything. I love you and nothing will change that. I loved you first and I love you the most. I just wish you would have talked to me instead of doing what you did. It doesn't help that Asazuki put you in the hospital."

This got Eyes' attention, "Kousuke? He attacked me?" Eyes thought this through. He hadn't seen his attacker and the person hadn't spoke, _"So Kousuke was the one. But…"_ "Why?"

"He's in love with Ayumu." Kanone said bluntly. At Eyes' questioning glance, Kanone explained everything that had happened; from the moment he got home to when he walked into the hospital a few minutes ago. "And that's everything. Eyes, I know you think that I love Ayumu, and I won't lie to you; a part of me did start to love him. But he'll never compare to you. Eyes, nobody makes more sense than we do, even Ayumu can see that. So, please, don't be angry with me for caring for a friend. And next time talk to me; you have no reason to be jealous because I'm all yours if you want me. And nothing in this world or any other will change that." Kanone had spilled his heart out, and no wall he could do was wait. Of course everything he had just said didn't mean a thing to Eyes; Kanone could see this in his lover's eyes, how uncertain he was of Kanone's honesty. Kanone sighed, _"Eyes never was impressed with words. And why should he be? Nobody can be completely honest all the time, and everyone lies, so why _should_ he trust me? I was hoping to save this more a more...romantic setting. But here goes."_ Kanone pulled an object from his coat pocket and looked at Eyes; who was still staring at him, "Eyes I have only one more question to ask you." A slight shift in the other man's cold expression was all he needed to proceed, "Eyes, I know words haven't always meant much to you, but I hope you will take these next ones seriously..."

Kousuke walked into Ayumu's room to see Hiyono and Ryoko there as well, _"Great,"_ Kousuke thought, _"Just what I need; Ayumu's wannabe girlfriend... and _my_ wannabe girlfriend. Wait Hiyoko already knows Ayumu's gay. That'll make things a little easier...I think."_

Ayumu looked up when Kousuke walked in and he brightened a little, "Kousuke, you're back. Where have you been? I've explained everything I know to Hiyono and Ryoko. That Eyes is alive and he attacked me because of Kanone... but Ryoko said that Rio saw Eyes being carried into the hospital on a stretcher. What happened? Do you know anything?"

Kousuke looked from Ayumu to Hiyono to Ryoko and back to his new love, "Yeah, I did that."

Ryoko immediately walked across the room and hit Kousuke in the head, "You idiot! What were you thinking? Why would you attack Eyes? Kousuke, you told me you wouldn't hurt people any more." Ryoko looked hurt now, "Were you just lying to me?"

"No, Ryoko. I wasn't lying, I just...I couldn't let Eyes get away with what he did."

Now it was Hiyono's turn to speak up, "What do you mean, Kousuke? What did Eyes do?" She thought about it for a moment (only a moment though, I do have to give her a _little_ credit). "Oh, you mean what he did to Ayumu?"

Kousuke nodded and Ryoko looked at him suspiciously, "Kousuke, I thought you hated Ayumu, especially after that little bet...why would you get revenge for him?"

"_This is just perfect,'_ Kousuke sighed, _'I really don't want to deal with Ryoko right now. I need to talk to Ayumu."_ A fist in the face brought him back to reality, "Damn, Ryoko! That really hurts!"

"Then stop daydreaming and answer my question." Ryoko stared at him impatiently.

Kousuke sighed once more, "Look, I'll explain everything in a second, just go wait out in the hall, okay?"

"What? Kousuke, you can't tell me what to do."

Ryoko was about to punch him in the shoulder but Kousuke grabbed her wrist; which surprised everyone, "Look, Ryoko, I really need to talk to Ayumu right now. You and Hiyoko go wait for me, alright?"

"IT'S HIYONO!" Hiyono yelled and stormed out into the hall.

"Whatever." Was Kousuke's reply. He let go of Ryoko and she followed the other girl out into the hall.

Outside of Ayumu's room Ryoko looked to Hiyono, "Why do you think Kousuke attacked Eyes? I mean why would he want to get revenge for the one person he probably wouldn't mind getting rid of."

Hiyono thought about it for a second, "I don't know. I do have to agree that it's strange. You would think that Kousuke would be glad that Ayumu was in the hospital so he couldn't boss him around so much." Ryoko nodded and looked over to see a startled Rio staring at them.

"Wh-what? Kousuke attacked Eyes? But...why?" The small girl had tears in her eyes, _"Why would Kousuke do such a thing? He doesn't have a reason to... wait a minute."_ Rio looked from Hiyono to Ryoko, "Ayumu is in the hospital? Why?"

Hiyono explained that Eyes had attacked Ayumu because he was in love with Kanone, and he thought that Ayumu didn't deserve Kanone. "The only thing we can't figure out is why Kousuke would defend Ayumu."

Rio let all of this sink in, _"Eyes attacked Ayumu? I never thought Eyes was like that. How convenient that he forgot to mention that handy little bit of information. And then Kousuke attacked Eyes...because Eyes attacked Ayumu."_ The it all clicked in Rio's head, it all made sense, "I get it." She announced.

"Get what? You know why Kousuke attacked Eyes?"

Rio nodded, "Of course, it makes perfect sense. Eyes put Ayumu in the hospital because he loved Kanone and didn't want Ayumu to have him. He did it for love, right?"

Hiyono nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, but why would Kousuke...oh." Hiyono finally got it, "So Kousuke..."

"That's the only explanation." Rio said, proud that she had figured it all out.

Ryoko wasn't in the dark anymore either, "Kousuke isn't...I mean he..." She got it all right, Kousuke was in love with Ayumu, but that didn't mean she couldn't be in denial, "No. I don't believe that. Kousuke loves _me_. He's not like that!"

Hiyono walked over to Ryoko and put a hand on her shoulder, "I understand how you feel, Ryoko."

"How could you possibly understand?" Ryoko cried, with tears in her eyes. She looked at Hiyono and realized that Hiyono was in the same position she was in, _"She thought that Ayumu loved her. Then he announced that he was in love with Kanone..."_ Ryoko hugged Hiyono and cried even harder.

Hiyono just smiled sadly, "It'll be okay Ryoko, you're too good for him anyway. And you guys will always be friends." Her supposedly encouraging words, however, weren't reaching Ryoko, so she just stood there and comforted the Blade Child.

Rio no longer had a smile on her face, she was now frowning as she watched the scene unfold, _"How did all of this happen? I always knew that Eyes and Kanone were more than just friends, there was no way they couldn't be. But I never thought Kousuke was that way. I always pictured him ending up with Ryoko. They really did look perfect together. The same with Hiyono and Ayumu. How did it come to this?"_ Rio sighed and looked down the hall and saw Kanone emerge from Eyes' room, he was crying. _"What happened? Did Eyes not take him back?"_ Rio ran to Kanone to find out what happened.

After Ryoko ran out of Ayumu's room Kousuke walked over to his lover and gave him a quick kiss, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Ayumu smiled at Kousuke, the redhead really could be nice when he tried, "I'm fine. The doctors say that I'm healing faster than normal and I should be out in a week."

"Well that's good news." Kousuke paused unsure of what to say next, _"Do I tell him what I did? He'll find out anyway, I might as well not start off our relationship by lying to him. But how to tell him...what if he gets angry? I don't see why he would, he can't like Eyes very much. But this is all so complicated."_ Kousuke sighed in frustration and Ayumu grabbed his hand. Kousuke looked up into his reassuring smile and sighed again, this still wasn't going to be easy, "Ayumu there's something I have to tell you." Ayumu waited patiently, not saying a word. _"Damn, why won't he talk? He's making this so much harder. Oh well, here goes nothing."_ "Ayumu, after I left earlier I...I went to Kanone's apartment."

"And you attacked Eyes, I know, Kousuke." At the surprised glance he got, Ayumu chuckled and explained, "Remember when you first came in you said you were the reason that Eyes was in the hospital?"

Kousuke thought back and mentally kicked himself, "Right, I forgot about that...but Ayumu, I only did it because..."

"Look, Kousuke, I understand why you did it. Because you love me...right?" Ayumu looked worried for a second that he had misinterpreted Kousuke's intentions.

Now it was Kousuke's turn to chuckle, and blush a little bit, "Yeah. I just couldn't stand seeing you in here and knowing that Eyes thought he got away with it."

Ayumu smiled at Kousuke, he was cute when he blushed. This, of course, in turn made Ayumu blush and smiled a little wider at his lover, "I'm not upset with you, Kousuke. I'm just worried what Kanone will do when he finds out...he can be pretty violent when he wants to." Ayumu stopped smiling and frowned at Kousuke, "I don't want you hurt. This cycle has to end. maybe I can talk to Kanone and..."

"That won't be necessary. I already talked to him. It seems he thought us fighting would only hurt you, and he still cares about you enough not to hurt you by hurting me. Which I am very happy for...because, now don't tell anyone this, but Kanone could kick my ass with one hand behind his back."

Ayumu laughed out loud at this, "Yeah, Kousuke, that's why I was worried."

Kousuke looked embarrassed for a moment and then pouted, "Thanks for the support. Now I know what you think of me." He grumbled. Ayumu grinned and Kousuke pouted even more. He soon got over it though when Ayumu pulled him into a passionate kiss. Kousuke smiled into the kiss for a second and then pulled away and looked at Ayumu seriously. "Listen Ayumu, me and Kanone came to an agreement. We figured it would be best to forget all of this and just start over, can you do that?"

Ayumu thought about it and nodded, "I agree. I was hoping we could work all of this out." Ayumu was relieved beyond words that everything had already been worked out, now there was only one problem. "How does Eyes feel about all of this?"

"I really don't know. Kanone has been in his room talking to him while I've been in here. I guess now we've just got to wait for him. In the mean time, I guess I should go and explain all of this to Ryoko and Hiyoko." Ayumu just stared at his boyfriend, "What? Oh...I mean Hiyono." Ayumu smiled and kissed Kousuke before the Blade Child left his room. Out in the hall Kousuke saw Ryoko and Hiyono. He walked over to the two and placed a hand on Ryoko's shoulder, "Hey, Ryoko? Can I talk to you? You too, Hiyono." Kousuke smiled momentarily, _'Hey, I finally got it right!'_ His achievement, however, went unnoticed.

Ryoko turned to Kousuke, he could see that she had been crying, but now she was smiling, "There's no need, Kousuke. We've figured it all out."

" 'We'? Who is 'we'? And what exactly do you think you've figured out?" Kousuke looked at Ryoko and Hiyono suspiciously.

Hiyono smiled and looked at Ryoko to make sure her friend was okay with all of this. Ryoko glanced at Hiyono and nodded then turned to Kousuke, "We, being me, Hiyono, and Rio, figured out that you're in love with Ayumu. That's why you attacked Eyes."

Kousuke just stared at Ryoko, his mouth hanging open in disbelief, _"There's no way they could have figured that all out. How... wait, where's Rio?"_ Kousuke looked around and spotted Rio hugging Kanone, they were several yards away, so Kousuke couldn't see exactly what was going on, but he could tell both of them were looking rather solemn, "Hey, what's up with those two?"

Ryoko and Hiyono turned to look at Rio and Kanone. Ryoko frowned, "I have no idea, are they alright?"

"Let's go see what's going on." Hiyono suggested. Kousuke and Ryoko nodded and they ran over to the two.

Kousuke reached them first, "Kanone, Rio! What's going on?" he asked, looking mildly concerned.

Kanone looked up at him, "Kousuke, I have some news...for all of you actually. Me and Eyes...we..."Kanone trailed off, unable to say the next words.

"What is it, Kanone?" Hiyono asked concerned.

Kanone looked up at his friends, sighed, and told them the news.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Just so no one gets confused, this chapter doesn't progress in the story line at all, chronologically speaking. It's just going into detail what happened with Kanone and Eyes and then later with Kanone and Rio, right before Kousuke, Hiyono, and Ryoko ran up to them in the last chapter. You'll see that the end of this chapter is pretty much the same end as the last chappy, and the next one will pick back up with the story.

**Last Chapter:**

Kanone pulled an object from his coat pocket and looked at Eyes; who was still staring at him, "Eyes I have only one more question to ask you." A slight shift in the other man's cold expression was all he needed to proceed, "Eyes, I know words haven't always meant much to you, but I hope you will take these next ones seriously..."

(and now the exciting conclusion!)

Kanone hesitated for a second, "Eyes...?" _"How can I possibly ask him this? And how could he possibly accept? For all I know right now he hates me, well maybe not _hate_, but as close as Eyes can get to hating me."_

Seeing Kanone's hesitation and having the sudden urge to go to sleep Eyes decided to hurry his friend along, "What do you want to say to me, Kanone? It can't be that difficult."

"If only you knew..." Kanone whispered under his breath and then sighed.

Eyes suspected Kanone hadn't meant for him to hear those words, but he had, "Kanone, you've always been the confident one among us, never backing down or taking 'no' for an answer. What could possibly have you so tongue-tied now? It's not like you to show hesitation or weakness, and, personally it's a little disappointing. And a bit frightening as well."

Kanone thought about Eyes' words, "You know Eyes, you're right. And I don't want to disappoint you at a time like this, so here it goes. Eyes, will you marry me?" Kanone produced his possession that he had thus far kept from Eyes' line of vision. It was a small black box with a gold engagement band in it.

Eyes stared at Kanone, no more like _glared_ at him, "You're serious, Kanone?" Eyes asked, half-hoping that this was a joke to lighten the mood that the recent string of events had set. Though the joke would have been in vain, Eyes didn't see any sense in making immature or elaborate (god forbid immature _and_ elaborate) jokes. Which only meant one thing...

"I've never been more serious in my entire life Eyes. I don't know what else to do to show you how much I love you and how much I want to be with you. I can't say anything to show you, so I was hoping this would mean something."

"You honestly think that proposing will win back my trust in you, Kanone? I never in my life thought you could be this foolish."

Kanone looked liked someone had shot him, he felt that same emptiness when he first found Eyes in that warehouse, that feeling of loneliness and helplessness. Kanone somehow managed to choke out a few words, "I...I understand, Eyes. I don't suppose that I expected you to accept...I..." Kanone trailed off. He felt tears threatening to make their presence known by spilling out all over his face. He sniffed quietly, hoping that Eyes didn't notice his sudden weakness. He knew, however that his life long friend had all of his concentration on him, _"What else does he expect me to say? And what does this mean? Are we... over?"_ Kanone didn't dare ask any of these questions, he didn't dare speak. For once in his life, Kanone Hilbert was completely speechless.

Eyes saw Kanone's great turmoil and felt guilty. Of course, he knew he should feel guilty; he had just broken his boyfriend's heart, the one person he cared about more than anyone. And why? For no good reason that Eyes could think of. And yet, despite all of this, Eyes didn't feel near as guilty as he should have; guilt was just one of those emotions that Eyes didn't feel. There were a lot of those, love being another one. He had never been loved before, sure Kanone had always loved him as a sort of older brother type of figure, but never as a lover; Eyes didn't know how to react to this sort of attention. He certainly didn't know how to react to a marriage proposal. Yes, him and Kanone had slept together, but they had both agreed that it was meaningless. Something had changed...but what? Eyes had become jealous, why? Simple. He was in love. It all made sense, why he risked everything for Kanone-- he loved him. It was why he was in the hospital right now.

Eyes sighed at his stupidity, "Kanone?" Eyes broke the never ending silence. Kanone looked up at Eyes, tears still threatening to come out, but not making their appearance as of yet. Eyes sighed at his lover's distraught face, "Kanone...I...I'm sorry." He had done it. Eyes Rutherford had apologized, something he hadn't done for at least 10 years, "What I said, I didn't mean it. I wasn't thinking; but I've thought it over and, Kanone, I love you. I honestly do. I know I've said it before, but I've never given much thought to the words. I haven't given much thought to any words you or anyone else, including myself, have said. And I truly am sorry if I hurt you by something I said. Hurting you is the last thing I would ever want to do." Eyes had been staring at his hands, which he had found oddly fascinating, throughout his speech. He now looked up at Kanone, not knowing what to expect, which made him uneasy. _"'I can usually tell what he is thinking, but I don't know if he's going to stay true to his words, and forgive me because he loves me. Or if he's going to take this opportunity to exact revenge by breaking my heart, just like I broke his a few minutes ago." _ Eyes stared patiently at Kanone, knowing that he was sorting everything out and not wanting to rush him or do anything to scare him off.

Kanone looked at Eyes, wondering if he could really trust his lover's words, _"He sounds sincere enough...but like I said before. It's so easy to lie, and no one can tell the truth all the time; some people even avoid it; though Eyes isn't one of those people. He has always been honest with me, I don't see why I should doubt him now."_ Kanone smiled a strangely honest smile, "Eyes, I have no choice but to forgive you. I told you before that I loved you and nothing would change that. I meant that, I meant everything I said. And there's no reason for me to believe that you are lying to me, and that you don't love me." Kanone decided that enough had been said and he got up to leave, not wanting to push his proposal; Eyes knew it was still up for grabs. Though Kanone knew better than to get his hopes up; he had been betrayed too many times for that to happen.

Eyes watched Kanone walk towards the door before realizing what had just happened, or more specifically what _hadn't_ happened, "Kanone." Eyes called, to get the older man's attention. Kanone stopped and turned, giving Eyes his full attention even though he had his hand on the doorknob. Eyes decided to take the plunge, "Do you still want to marry me?"

Kanone swallowed hard and nodded, not sure if Eyes was just clarifying or accepting. Kanone walked forward and ended up back at Eyes' bedside, sorry that he had ever left, even for that brief moment. "Of course I do, Eyes, you know that."

Eyes did a rare thing then; he smiled. It wasn't a sarcastic smile or a smirk, it was a genuine smile; a relieved smile, "Then it's not too late for me to accept?"

Kanone was the one who stared suspiciously at Eyes now, "You're serious about this?"

Eyes smiled to himself at the irony; how just a few moments ago they were in completely opposite roles, Eyes being the shocked one and Kanone being the one to lay his heart out on the table. "I've never been more serious in my life." And for Eyes, that was an accomplishment, seeing as how so much of his life was seriousness; in fact all of it was.

Kanone had no other choice than to reach over and grab his...fiance and kiss him more passionately than he had ever kissed anyone. Eyes leaned into the kiss and felt Kanone's tongue asking for entrance into his mouth. The pianist complied willingly and allowed Kanone to explore his mouth; this however resulted in a tongue war for dominance. Which, much to Kanone's dismay, Eyes won. _"How in the world did that happen, I though for sure I was the dominant one in this relationship. We'll have to talk about that later."_ Realizing his own thoughts, Kanone smirked, _"Well, never mind. I guess that answers my question."_ Kanone didn't mind being the submissive one, though, not as long as he had his Eyes. He sighed as Eyes deepened the kiss even further, and then...ran out of air. Silently cursing the need for oxygen, Kanone pulled away and gazed into Eyes' cerulean orbs, smiling softly before averting his gaze, his bangs falling to cover his eyes.

"Kanone?" Eyes asked mildly concerned at the sudden change in attitude, he hadn't done anything to hurt the older boy...at least not yet. "Kanone...what's wrong? I...didn't do anything, did I?"

"No, not at all Eyes, I'm just...so relieved that you said yes. You really have no idea how happy this makes me." _"'Dear lord, I'm turning into a woman as I speak. Actually speaking is turning me into a woman...damn words!"_ Kanone turned his face back to Eyes' and smiled once more, and then another thought entered his head.

"Rio." Eyes stated, reading Kanone's mind and his concerned face.

Kanone looked slightly surprised that Eyes could tell exactly what he was thinking, "Yes. I'll go talk to her now. Should I tell her that we're...engaged?"

Eyes eyed Kanone suspiciously, and then realized Kanone had no idea whether to tell the others or not. "Yes, of course. Unless you want no one at our wedding."

Kanone blushed at the mention of the big occasion and then mentally kicked himself, _"If you start acting like any more of a woman, you're going to be gossiping with Rio and Ryoko soon and having sleep-overs."_ Kanone shuddered at the though of an evening of just the three of them. He would seriously kill himself before he _ever_ allowed that to happen.

Right before Kanone left Eyes called out to him, "Oh, and Kanone?" The brown haired boy turned to his lover, "I love you, and I mean that with all of my heart."

"I love you, too, Eyes." Kanone walked away feeling a little too light on his feet, _"Dear god I need to masturbate... or beat something up."_ Kanone thought, that was until he saw Rio.

(A/N: I think that was _the_ longest proposal in the history of fanfic proposals. Anyway back to the story, this beginning of this next part is from the last chapter when Rio sees Kanone coming out of Eyes' room.)

Rio sighed and looked down the hall and saw Kanone emerge from Eyes' room, looking down with his eyes shut. _"What happened? Did Eyes not take him back?"_ Rio ran to Kanone to find out what happened. "Kanone. Kanone!" Rio called. When she reached him, she looked worriedly at him, "Oh, Kanone. I'm so sorry."

Kanone looked up at Rio and for the first time Rio saw he was smiling, "Sorry for what, Rio?"

Rio gasped and realized that Kanone was actually happy, "Oh, Kanone!" She cried again, hugging him, "So Eyes _did_ take you back?"

Kanone looked at Rio and wondered how she even knew about the two, but he dismissed it quickly; Rio was a smart girl and it's not like there hadn't been an abundance of clues, "He did a lot more than that, Rio." Kanone said excitedly.

"What do you mean, Kanone?" When Kanone smirked at her and gave her a I'm-not-gonna-tell-you look she frowned, "Kanone tell me what Eyes did!"

Kanone smirked at her again, loving the look that he knew was going to be on her face when he told her the news, "Okay Rio, I'll tell you." Rio cheered at her easily won victory and waited for the exciting news, "But first," Kanone continued, "You have to get this box out of my hand." Kanone reached in his jacket and took out the box that had had Eyes' ring in it. (I didn't mention this because I forgot, but he gave the ring to Eyes sometime during their discussion.) He then held it high above his head, knowing there was no way Rio would be able to get it. But Kanone didn't care, he was having too much fun.

"What? Kanone, that's not fair. I'm way too short to reach that." Kanone had remarked on several occasions how smart Rio was and how quickly she could put two and two together, now he cursed this ability as she got a mischievous grin across her face, "Kanone, you guys are getting married! There was a ring in that box!"

Kanone looked from the Rio to the box and back again, "But...how did you..." Kanone sighed and put the box back in his jacket, he had decided long ago to give up on figuring out exactly how the others figured things out, _"Maybe I just don't give her enough credit. Perhaps that goes for all of them... except Kousuke."_ Kanone chuckled at this thought-- he definitely didn't gave Kousuke enough credit, maybe too much. Kanone glanced down at Rio and then prepared to answer her barrage of questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how. Even though she knew all of the answers except the last one, she still asked. She was almost as giddy as Kanone was (Oh yeah, Kanone...giddy...can you imagine? Scary, huh?). That's when Kousuke, Ryoko, and Hiyono ran up to the two, who were hugging for some reason.

Kousuke reached them first, "Kanone, Rio! What's going on?" Kousuke asked, looking mildly concerned.

"Kousuke, I have some news...for all of you actually. Eyes and I...we..." Kanone trailed off, unable to say the words; after all he could only savor their shocked expressions once.

"What is it, Kanone?" Hiyono asked concerned.

Kanone looked up at his friends, and then back down to Rio. She knew what he was doing and gave him a disapproving glare. Kanone sighed and looked back up to his friends and told them the news.


	14. Chapter 14

Eyes woke up to the sound of Kanone's alarm blaring in his face, _"Why the hell does he have that set...and for 5:00 a.m.?" _Eyes rolled over and tapped the snooze button. Realizing that the machine would go off in another five minutes, he sighed and turned the thing off. Eyes rolled back over and shook Kanone, "Kanone, are you awake?"

Kanone blinked a few times and looked over at his lover. Once he realized who had woken him up, he smiled, "Well I am now. What are you doing up so early?"

"Your alarm clock woke me up. What is it doing by my head?" Eyes looked a little pissed, but Kanone just smiled.

"Because I knew it would wake you up. And I knew you would wake me up in turn, so everyone wins."

"How do I win? I get woken up at 5:00 in the morning...for what exactly?"

"You win because you get to spend an extra 3 hours with your husband that you would have otherwise spent sleeping." Kanone joked and smiled, "And you are awake because we need to catch our plane which leaves in an hour and a half."

Eyes stared at his husband and narrowed his gaze, "Plane? Kanone, what are you talking about?"

Kanone chuckled, "Eyes, you can be so absent-minded." At his partner's glare Kanone stopped laughing and looked serious, "You don't remember? We're going to Japan to visit the others. Remember, we made plans a few weeks ago?"

Eyes stared a couple more seconds then sighed, "Right. Of course, now I remember." Eyes started to get out of bed, but Kanone grabbed his wrist. Eyes looked back to him, "What is it, Kanone?"

"I don't want you to leave bed yet." Kanone said in a low, seductive voice.

Eyes smirked and leaned down to give Kanone a kiss, "Yes, but you said yourself that we only have an hour and a half to get to the airport. And you take forever to take a shower." With that Eyes sauntered out of the room turning back before he entered the bathroom, "Of course, I have an idea that could cut that time down." Eyes turned and went into the bathroom and began to strip down and turned the water on.

Kanone smiled and got out of bed to follow his lover into the shower. He got in there and saw Eyes standing in front of him, completely naked, "I swear I am the luckiest person on earth to have him." Kanone smiled, he'd gotten used to having thoughts like those after he and Eyes got together. Eyes had his back facing Kanone and the brown-haired boy easily snuck up on him and wrapped his hands around the white-haired boy's waist, rubbing up against his naked back, "I love the way you feel." Kanone whispered into Eyes' ear.

Eyes tilted his head back to see Kanone's love-drunk gaze smiling at him. Eyes smiled slightly at feeling Kanone rub against him and kiss his neck. He could feel Kanone's erection through his pants and knew that this was going to be a good day. Eyes turned around and kissed Kanone gently, just enough to make him want more, "Take off your clothes. They're in my way." Eyes ordered and then went into the shower. Kanone obeyed and got in with Eyes.

As soon as Kanone got in the shower, Eyes pinned him against the wall and began kissing him hungrily. Kanone kissed back and ran his hands over Eyes' chest, down to his hips, and then focused inward towards Eyes' growing hard on. Kanone smirked as Eyes moaned into his touch and slowly began rubbing his lover. Soon though Eyes regained his senses, at least enough to grab onto Kanone and kiss him enough to get Kanone to loosen his grip on Eyes' sensitive member. As soon as Kanone's touch left him, Eyes regained control and pulled Kanone even closer to him. Kanone got the idea and wrapped his legs around Eyes' waist and wrapped his arms around the pianist's neck. Before Eyes entered Kanone, he glanced to his lover to make sure he was ready. Kanone saw Eyes asking permission and chuckled, "Eyes after all this time do you really need to ask?" Kanone secretly wondered if Eyes was up to always being on top. That thought and all others left his head immediately as Eyes thrust into him. Kanone grunted in momentary pain, still not having gotten used to how big Eyes was, and how aggressive, too.

Eyes heard Kanone's grunt and looked at him, "Did I hurt you?" He asked mildly concerned, even though it was obvious he was very anxious to get going.

Kanone just shook his head and then moved his hips to encourage Eyes to hurry the hell up. Kanone could get impatient, too. Eyes complied and started to thrust into Kanone, gently at first to make sure he didn't hurt Kanone anymore. Eyes knew that Kanone wasn't used to being the submissive one, and that it probably hurt his pride as much as his body. When Kanone grunted again, this time in frustration, Eyes stepped up his pace, getting rougher as he started to jerk on Kanone's thus far ignored member. Kanone's breath started to get ragged and Eyes smirked at how well he knew his lover. Kanone probably couldn't hold out much longer and neither could Eyes. "Eyes...I...I'm.." Kanone tried to form sentences but he was just lost in his ecstasy. Eyes started breathing heavy as he thrust into Kanone as hard as possible for the position they were in. Kanone was trying not to scream, and failed miserably at it as he came into Eyes' hand. Eyes came just moments later, his scream, however, consisted of short, ragged breaths and a short moan that couldn't be heard over Kanone. Kanone smiled lovingly at his lover, he was definitely the more vocal of the two, and he was glad that Eyes never complained. Kanone would probably get pretty annoyed if he were in Eyes' situation. After they were finished they did the actual showering part of taking a shower, which in truth only took about 10 minutes. Oh, yes, Eyes did take quite a long time in the shower. The two men stepped out of the shower and Kanone wrapped his arms around Eyes' neck, "Do you know how much I love you?"

Eyes smirked slightly, "I think I might. After all, you're not the only one in love, love."

Kanone smiled at the pet name and nuzzled Eyes' neck. Yeah, the sex was great, but sometimes just being around Eyes was enough for him,_ "Guess I really am the submissive one. I bet Eyes never has thoughts like that."_ Kanone sighed, slightly depressed and knew he could never tell Eyes what was on his mind, _"He just doesn't think like that, it's not his fault. And he sill loves me, everyone has their own definition of love. I just wish..."_

Kanone's thoughts were interrupted by Eyes' voice coming from their bedroom, "Kanone, we only have half an hour left. You're the one who wanted to do this, so hurry up." Eyes' words sounded a lot harsher than they were meant. Eyes emerged from their bedroom wearing his usual outfit of black on black...then some more black. he saw the hurt look on Kanone's face and went over to him, "I'm sorry. I didn't meant that the way it sounded." He hugged Kanone and pulled back, searching his lover's face for any anger, luckily he found none.

Kanone was smiling, knowing that Eyes never apologized unless he really meant it, "It's okay, Eyes, I know what you meant. I was just lost in my thoughts. Sorry, I'll get ready."

Kanone attempted to walked into his bedroom but Eyes stopped him with a hand on his arm, "Kanone, are you alright?" Concern laced his voice, Kanone was acting weird...weirder than usual.

Kanone smiled at the concern, "I'm fine Eyes, really. I was just thinking."

Eyes, not convinced, continued, "About what?"

Kanone frowned for a second and he faltered, was Eyes actually caring what he thought? That had never happened before. Kanone knew that that wasn't the best ingredient for a good relationship, but he loved Eyes and didn't want to bug him with feelings he himself didn't really want in the first place. Kanone realized Eyes was still expecting an answer and smiled, "It's nothing. I don't want to bug you with it. Just forget it, okay? I need to get ready." Which was true, while Eyes was dressed and had his hair brushed, Kanone was still only in a towel with some messy ass hair.

Eyes narrowed his gaze in frustration, "You're lying. Kanone, something's bugging you. What are you trying to hide from me? You know you can tell me, no matter what it is."

Kanone wondered if Eyes was just saying these things to find out what his husband was thinking because he hated things being hid from him. Kanone shook that thought off, no, Eyes didn't lie. Still, Kanone was wary of his lover's intentions, "You...really care?"

Eyes was caught off guard by the question. Didn't Kanone trust him? Eyes smiled at Kanone, as honest a smile as he could manage without seeming irritated by his husband's evasiveness, "Kanone, of course I care. If there's something on your mind, then I want to know what it is. It's obviously upsetting you, and I don't want to see you upset." Eyes lost his smile and put on his normal face, Kanone had never been this...insecure before. he was always the confident one, never hid his feelings from anyone and he always said what was on his mind, regardless of whether or not that was a good thing. But Kanone _never_ hid anything...especially from Eyes.

Kanone sighed, looked down briefly and then off to the side. Realizing he wasn't acting like himself he looked Eyes directly in the eyes, "It's just that I..." Kanone took a deep breath, "I just think that...you're in this for the sex. It's not that I think that you don't love me, I just think you don't enjoy the other parts of our relationship."

Eyes was honestly confused, "What other parts?" Okay, _that_ came out wrong. And judging from the look on the other man's face, it was a very,_ very_ bad thing to say.

"Never mind... If you don't know what I'm talking about, then just forget it." Kanone looked more hurt than he ever had.

Eyes regretted what he had said, but he knew a simple apology wouldn't fix this, "Kanone...I didn't mean that. I...love the other parts of our relationship." Even though Eyes wasn't sure that was true, he did enjoy being with Kanone, but he was the one that wanted the one night stand after all.

Kanone looked at Eyes and saw he was very clearly lying, "It's really okay, Eyes. you don't have to lie to me. I told you that you didn't want to know."

This alarmed Eyes, he didn't want Kanone to think he didn't care, "No, Kanone that's not it at all.I really do care about you, and I...I really do enjoy just talking with you. Sometimes I think you might be the only other intelligent person on this planet." And Eyes realized he wasn't lying; he really did enjoy his discussions and conversations with Kanone, he wouldn't trade it for all the sex in the world.

Kanone smiled when he knew that Eyes was telling the truth, "I'm glad, Eyes." Kanone hugged his husband, "I'm really relieved. Now seeing as we have about five minutes to leave, I need to get dressed." Eyes nodded and Kanone got dressed. After that they left and got to the airport just in time to board their plane to Japan.


	15. Chapter 15

"Ayumu, hurry up! Why do you always take so long in the bathroom?" Kousuke yelled to his boyfriend of three years.

"Just hold on a second, Kousuke. You're just impatient." Ayumu replied from inside the bathroom.

"You've been in there for 20 minutes, what the hell are you doing?" Kousuke shouted at the door.

"You know, Kousuke, you shouldn't yell at doors. People will think you're crazy." Ryoko commented as she emerged from the kitchen. It was the last day of school for the five of them; Ayumu, Kousuke, Rio, Ryoko, and Hiyono, and they were all gathered at the house that the Blade Children lived in.

"I'm not yelling at the door, Ryoko. Ayumu is hogging the bathroom. He's like a girl. Which he's not, believe me, I know." Kousuke said a little too pervertedly.

"Kousuke, we don't want to hear about what you two do behind closed doors." Rio commented as she came downstairs, yawning. She glanced at a clock and her eyes widened, "Why didn't anyone wake me up? I don't have time to get ready!" She ran to the bathroom door and tried to open it. Finding it locked, she started screaming about conspiracies and went back upstairs to change into her uniform.

Ryoko and Kousuke looked at each other, concerned for the small girl's sanity.

"Hey guys," Hiyono greeted the two, coming from the kitchen, stuffing her face with various foods, "Where are Ayumu and Rio? We're going to be late for our last day of school!"

"Rio went upstairs to change." Ryoko informed Hiyono, "And Ayumu..."

"Needs to get out of the bathroom!" Kousuke finished for her, pounding on the door, "Ayumu if you don't open this door, I'm gonna break it down."

That threat was short lived, however, as Ryoko hit him in the head, "Kousuke if you break that door down, you have to pay for it. And we all know you have no money to do that with; so, you're not going to do anything."

Kousuke mumbled something and turned back to the door with new determination, "Ayumu, whatever it is, it can't be that bad. Just let me in."

"No, you'll laugh. Just give me a minute." Ayumu said a bit timidly from the other side of the door.

Kousuke sighed, "Ayumu, I'm not going to laugh. And if you don't open this door, you're not getting any sex for a week." Kousuke smiled smugly, knowing Ayumu couldn't stand no sex; he was addicted.

"Kousuke, you're the sex addict." Ayumu reminded him, reading his thoughts, "I'm the only one who can make that threat."

Kousuke glared daggers at the door, "Damn." He glanced at Ryoko and Hiyono who were just smirking at him, "Yeah, he's right." He sighed, defeated.

"Isn't Ayumu out yet?" Rio asked, coming back downstairs, dressed and ready for school. The others just shook their heads.

"Hey, guys. Just go ahead without me, I'll catch up in a minute." Ayumu called from within his new home; a.k.a the bathroom.

Kousuke looked to the girls, "You guys should go on. I'll wait here for him."

Rio and Ryoko nodded, while Hiyono looked upset, "Are you sure Kousuke? I mean you could come with us. And why should we leave you two behind?"

"Well," Kousuke pondered her questions then smirked, "I'm kind of obligated to stay here, you know being his boyfriend. And you three actually have a pretty decent reputation. How would it look if you showed up late on the last day?"

Hiyono considered this, then nodded, "You're right, Kousuke. Okay, let's go guys." With that the three girls left which left Kousuke to plead with Ayumu some more.

"Hey, baby, the girls are gone. It's just me so you can come out now." Kousuke said affectionately.

"I...I don't want to." Ayumu replied.

Kousuke looked confused, "Why not? What could you have to hide from me?"

Ayumu sighed and slowly opened the door. He slowly raised his head so his gaze met Kousuke's, "I think I've finally gotten fat." Ayumu confessed, "My uniform barely fits and I can't run as far or as fast anymore. I've tried everything but whatever I do I just can't seem to get rid of this..." Ayumu was silenced by Kousuke's lips meeting with his own. Ayumu broke the kiss and looked at Kousuke, questioningly, "What was that for?"

"Because I love you." Kousuke replied as if Ayumu should have known that, which he should have, "And you're not getting fat. And even if you did, who cares? I don't; I'll still love you." Kousuke said reassuringly. Even though he knew that he was lying; he could tell that his boyfriend was getting a little chubby. But he honestly didn't care, he loved Ayumu, not his body. Well...he loved some of his body, but that wasn't the part that was in question right now.

Ayumu seemed to be reassured by these simple words and kissed his boyfriend, "Okay...but if I get any fatter, I'm starving myself."

Kousuke laughed as he put an arm around the younger boy's shoulders, "Okay, but maybe we just need to up the sex; I hear that burns a lot of calories." He said hopefully.

Now it was Ayumu's turn to laugh, "Kousuke, I'm lucky I can walk straight as it is." The two laughed at this and continued to talk until they reached their classroom. (A/N: Just to clarify I know that Ayumu, and Rio I think also, are younger than the rest, but let's just overlook that little detail. And I'm actually not sure how many years of school they had left, but let's just use our imaginations,okay? Good!)

The rest of the day went pretty smoothly; the five of them payed no attention in class and Hiyono tried to squeeze any last tidbit of information from the students that she could for the last newspaper article she would ever write for the school. During lunch they all went up to the roof and ate the lunches Ayumu had prepared; while said boy ate very little because of his new found paranoia. After school they all split up; Kousuke, Rio,and Ryoko went home, while Ayumu walked Hiyono home for the last time. Even though they were only friends the two had gotten in the habit of walking home together and figured it was bad to break tradition. Kousuke wanted to come with them, but then decided to instead get something to eat and then go to sleep-- hey, not paying attention in class and making out with your boyfriend all day can be exhausting!

As they parted ways Hiyono turned to Ayumu, "So, Ayumu, what are you going to do now that school is over with? I think I'm going to college to become editor of a newspaper, or something along those lines. So, what about you?"

Sensing that it was his turn to talk Ayumu pondered the question, "I'm not sure. I guess I've got a few options. I could be a chef...but that sounds kind of boring. I want a challenge. I'll probably try and be a detective, something where I can use my head."

Hiyono was excited to hear this, "Oh, Ayumu! I can't believe you've actually been thinking about this, that's great! I guess you're not as hopeless as everyone says you are!" Hiyono paused at the crosswalk and then walked across, not paying attention to the light change in all her excitement.

Ayumu wasn't paying attention either but stopped at the crosswalk nonetheless; he was thinking over her comment, "Hopeless? Who says I'm hopeless? Was it..." Ayumu looked up just in time to see it happen, "Hiyono, watch out!" He screamed. Hiyono had just enough time to give Ayumu a confused look before the bus slammed into her, sending her flying a good 50 feet before she rolled to a stop. Ayumu ran over to her bloody form and stared in horror, "H-hiyono?" He said, his voice barely a whisper as he approached her. He reached down but couldn't find a pulse, he looked over her and all common sense told him that there was no way she was alive, yet something inside of him couldn't accept this fact. He looked around and saw people staring. This angered him, "Don't just stand there!" He yelled at the growing crowd, "Someone call an ambulance!" He heard someone say that it had been taken care of. A few minutes later of not being able to pry his eyes off of Hiyono, Ayumu heard a siren. He looked up to see an approaching ambulance.

A few men ran over to Hiyono's body and asked Ayumu to stand back. After what seemed like several years, but in reality was only a few minutes one of the men came up to Ayumu. He shook his head, "I'm sorry. Your friend didn't survive. I'm truly sorry for your loss."

Ayumu hated the fake speech that he was given. Without another word he turned around and walked off, not really knowing where he was going. He ended up at a door he barely recognized, but knocked anyway.

Kousuke opened the door and saw his boyfriend standing there, "Ayumu? Wow, that was quick. I didn't expect you back for a while. Hey, are you okay?"

Ayumu nodded, "Yeah...sure." How could he not remember his boyfriend's house. He must really be out of it._ "I might as well tell them now."_ Was Ayumu's only thought, and he was surprised he could think at all. It was confusing but he wasn't as upset at losing Hiyono as he should of been; that confused him more than anything. He looked at Kousuke, "Where are Rio and Ryoko?"

"We're right here." Rio answered. Ayumu turned around and saw the two girls.

After a couple of minutes of staring Ryoko walked up to Ayumu and waved a hand in front of his face, "Hey, Ayumu? You okay?" She looked to Kousuke, "What did you do to him?"

Kousuke started to answer but Ayumu cut him off, "Hiyono's dead. She was hit by a bus on our way to her house." He walked over and sat down on the couch and then looked to his friends.

Rio started crying and Ryoko walked over to him, "W-what do you...oh, god. No, no...but she..." Ryoko soon joined Rio in crying for their deceased friend.

Kousuke was shocked, but still aware enough to comfort his boyfriend, "Are you okay? What...what happened?" He placed a hand on Ayumu's shoulder.

Ayumu looked to him and nodded, "Yeah...I'll be fine. I just need some time to think things through." Kousuke nodded and just held Ayumu for a while.

After everyone had calmed down, Rio and Ryoko had stopped crying and Ayumu was functioning on a normal level again. They all just sat in silence for a while until Ayumu looked at the clock. He turned to Kousuke, "We should get some sleep. Eyes and Kanone will be here in the morning."

Given everything that happened, the thought had escaped Kousuke's mind. Now reminded of his friends coming back tomorrow he nodded, "Alright." The two stood and said goodnight to Rio and Ryoko who were still staring off into space. They mumbled something that could have been taken as goodnight and the boys exited upstairs to Kousuke's room.

Rio brightened up a little, "That's right. Eyes and Kanone will be here tomorrow. They'll make everything better. I haven't seen Eyes in so long and I'm sure he'll buy me a melon!"

Ryoko smiled at the young girl, Rio was always so optimistic, "Yeah." however, was the only thing she could manage to say.

Rio looked sadly at Ryoko and then put a hand on the taller girl's shoulder, "We should still try to get some sleep, Ryoko." Ryoko only nodded and the two went to bed.


	16. Chapter 16

Ayumu woke up early that morning and was surprised at how well he had slept. He thought he would be more upset over Hiyono, and it kind of depressed him that he wasn't sadder. Everyone seemed to be better than yesterday, and Ayumu walked downstairs to find them all eating breakfast. This amazed him; not so much because his friends were pigging out on really good smelling food, but... _"Who cooked?"_ Ayumu wondered as he found his way to the stove where the food was. He looked from the food to Kousuke and back again. Then another thought entered his head, _"Did I cook in my sleep again?"_ Yes, Ayumu had indeed cooked in his sleep once. He knew it was unlikely for it to happen again, but he didn't know who else could have made the food. It looked so good.

Kousuke noticed his boyfriend staring at the food on the stove like it was the most amazing thing he had ever seen, "Hey, Ayumu, you know it's not polite to stare." At seeing Ayumu's blank expression Kousuke chuckled, "It's not poison or anything. Grab a plate and sit down."

Ayumu decided to go for it and did as he was instructed. One bite of his food and he felt like he was in heaven; whoever cooked this was his new best friend. Ayumu had never had the pleasure of eating such good food unless he had first cooked it; and Ayumu knew all too well that food didn't taste near as good when you had spent hours preparing it. After a while he looked to the three seated around the table, "So...who cooked this? I highly doubt it was any of you. I don't think you guys can even cook cereal." It was true, right after Ayumu had moved in with the Blade Children he had gone downstairs to cook breakfast, only to find Rio and Ryoko sitting in a milk and cereal covered kitchen. He never found out the whole story, but truth be told he didn't want to know.

"Hey!" Kousuke objected, "I didn't have any part in that. You know damn well I'm a good cook."

Ayumu chuckled, it was true. He remembered Kousuke cooking him breakfast; and he also remembered how surprised he was to find that his lover was a good cook, "That's true, Kousuke. I never said you were a bad cook." grinning at Kousuke's smug expression, Ayumu added, "However, you're way too lazy to cook something this extravagant this early in the morning."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kousuke complained, and then sighed; Ayumu was right, "Yeah, okay. I didn't cook breakfast."

Ayumu smiled victoriously and then frowned, realizing he was getting nowhere, "So who _did_ cook? If none of you did it, then who else is here? More importantly who else is here that can cook like this?" Ayumu asked in between bites of food.

"I did, of course." A voice said behind Ayumu, "Who else could rival your culinary skills, Ayumu?"

Ayumu turned around, food falling out of his mouth, "Kanone?" He whispered. He knew Kanone was coming today, but he hadn't known it was this early; in fact he had been told that it would be several hours later when they would all go to the airport to pick up Kanone and Eyes. Ayumu stared at his former lover a second more before he shook his head of the rush of emotions he got just by hearing Kanone talk, _"I really need to get over him. It's just so hard...he was my first time, so maybe it's good that I don't get over him that easily."_ Ayumu turned his attention back to his ex, "So, Kanone, where's Rutherford? I thought he was coming with you."

"Don't get too excited, I'm right here, Little Narumi." Eyes said, emerging from behind Kanone, smirking, "You don't think that Kanone would leave me behind, now do you?"

Ayumu smirked in return, "Well, _I'm_ here. What else would he need?"

Eyes narrowed his gaze slightly and put a protective arm around Kanone's waist, "If I remember correctly, he left _you_ for _me_. I'm the only one he needs."

Kanone sighed and wondered how much more childish these two could get before they started calling each other names and spitting at each other (you know...like little kids do). To be honest, Kanone enjoyed watching them fight over him; it was comforting to know that he was loved so much. But he also realized that things could get violent if Ayumu said the wrong thing, so Kanone decided to break it off, "Eyes, don't start this early in the morning. We're guests in their house, so be polite and don't fight with Ayumu." Eyes just glared at Ayumu some more, gave Kanone a rather long kiss, and left to finish unpacking. Kanone blushed slightly when he realized everyone was looking at him, then realized that Eyes and him were married and there was no reason to be embarrassed. And that would have been convincing enough if it weren't for the slightly hurt look Ayumu got on his face before he turned and took Kousuke's hand, leading him upstairs. Kanone just smiled and turned to Rio and Ryoko, "So, ladies, what are you two up to today?"

Ryoko was just about to tell him there was nothing particularly interesting going on today when Kousuke ran downstairs with Ayumu and Eyes in tow. "Kanone, we've got a problem." Kousuke said, holding out his cell phone.

"Huh?" Kanone took the phone and read the message:

Come to the abandoned warehouse to meet your fate.

It was short and simple, yet it shot chills up Kanone's spine; something that's not easily done. Kanone looked up at his friends and husband, "Hunters." He said, dreading the response he would get.

Kousuke, Eyes, and Ayumu nodded their heads. It was all silent for a minute until Kousuke spoke up, "Do you know what warehouse they're talking about, Kanone?"

Kanone nodded but Eyes was the one to answer, "The one in which I was shot." He said solemnly.

Kanone nodded and went to stand by his lover and life long friend. He laced his fingers through Eyes' and looked at him, "It'll be okay." He promised, "There's no way I'm going to let them hurt you again; no Hunter can stop us."

Ayumu longed for that kind of comfort but when he looked to Kousuke, the redhead just snickered and looked away. Ayumu sighed and then decided to get back to business by asking the question that was on everyone's mind, "So what's our next move?"

Kanone sighed, knowing that everyone was now looking to him. After all, he had been in alliance with the Hunters, so he knew them best. The good thing about these assumptions was that they were true; he could predict almost every move they could and would make with deadly accuracy. He looked back up to his friends, "We should tell Rio and Ryoko first, where did they go?" Kanone turned around to find the two girls gone. He lead the other three into the living room to find the two asleep on the couch with the T.V. on. Kanone went over and shook them awake. After the two were up and semi-coherent, he filled them in on the recent turn of events, "I know they'll try to trap us somehow. But one thing they probably won't be expecting is Eyes being there. I'm almost certain they think he's dead." Kanone looked to his partner who only nodded his head in agreement. In tense situations like these, Eyes always reverted back to his old days when he showed little to no emotion. It was always for the best, though, seeing as how he did his best thinking and planning when he was emotionless. Kanone smiled at how well he knew Eyes, and regretted how much of his friend's life he had missed out on. But there were no times for regrets right now, there were more important matters at hand. Kanone thought a minute about how they should attack this, "We can use Eyes as an advantage, but we can't rely on it. Rio and Ryoko, I'll leave you two to search the perimeter for any traps or bombs they may have set up."

Ryoko nodded and Rio smiled at being given the responsibility, "You can count on us, Kanone!" The small girl piped up.

Kanone smiled warmly and nodded back, then he turned serious again and looked to Kousuke, "You will be the one to go and meet the Hunter..."

"Wait a minute!" Kousuke yelled, standing up and drawing everyone's attention to him, "This is just like last time, and I didn't like how that turned out. How do we know you're not still on their side?"

Kanone looked hurt, but he understood where Kousuke was coming from. He had been back less than an hour and they get a message from the Hunters; something that hadn't happened in three years, ever since Kanone left, "I guess you don't have much reason to trust me, Kousuke. But I can honestly tell you that I'm not in alliance with the Hunters. However if you don't want my help..."

"No." Ayumu stated. Everyone looked at him, surprised by his commanding tone, waiting for him to explain, "We can't afford to suspect each other. That's just what the Hunters want. But Kanone, you're probably wrong about them not knowing about Eyes. It's true they left him for dead, but don't you think it's a little suspicious that as soon as you two came back, the Hunters called us out?"

"Yeah, a little too suspicious if you ask me." Kousuke glared at Kanone.

Ayumu put a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, "That's not what I mean, Kousuke. They've probably been watching you. Which also means they know that Eyes is alive, I don't think we should count on that element of surprise."

Kanone listened to all this and everyone looked to him to see what he thought of it; he had always been their leader, and they all trusted his opinion. Even Kousuke would eventually go along with his plan, even though he would complain the entire time. Now was no different and Kanone nodded in agreement, "I agree, Ayumu. Maybe we should be looking to you for what to do." Kanone joked, "However that does raise an interesting question."

Rio caught onto Kanone's meaning and spoke up, "Yeah, why would they wait until we were all together. Wouldn't they think that would make us stronger?"

Kanone pondered this and then shook his head, "No, there are three possibilities of having us together that could work in their favor."

Kousuke nodded, "Yeah, they could assume that it would look suspicious with you just coming back and that we would turn on you; like I did." Kousuke said, a little regretfully.

Eyes was the next one to speak up, "They might also be counting on the fact that we think we have the element of surprise with me not being dead. If we relied on that too heavily they could overtake us easily."

Kanone nodded, "Right, but the last option is the most likely."

Ayumu sighed and looked at his friends, his cursed friends, "They're planning on taking all ofus out in one fell swoop. They're sure that whatever they have hidden up their sleeve will overtake us, no matter how much we plan and no matter how many precautions we take."

Kousuke agreed with his boyfriend, "Those bastards are planning on us figuring all this out. What could they gain from us knowing all of this, though?"

Kanone thought about this and sighed, "The only thing I can think of is, like Ayumu said, they're so confident that they will beat us. It doesn't matter how much we figure out, even if we knew their secret weapon, they would still win."

Kousuke was taken back by this revelation, "But...they're really that confident? You're absolutely sure on this?"

"Yes." Kanone replied bluntly; if there was another reason, he couldn't see it. And with Ayumu and Eyes here as well, there's nothing they couldn't see coming.

"Then that will be their undoing." Eyes said, "Let them be as confident as they want; we will win."

Rio smiled at Eyes' determination, "Yeah, we'll show those Hunters, no one messes with us!"

Kanone smiled at the sight of all of them crowded around a table, scheming; just like the old days, "Alright then. We won't let them know that we suspect anything and just play it by ear."

Ayumu had to question this, "Are you sure? I mean, we're going to cut their communication with electronic jamming, right? How will we know what move to make next if we can't talk to each other?"

Kanone smiled, "Don't worry, Ayumu. I know at least you, Eyes, and myself think enough alike to know what the other will do. I trust the others as well, we'll be fine. Just trust me."

Ayumu nodded, "Alright, I just...I don't want to see any of you get hurt. You guys are my friends and I don't want to do something that could mean one of you getting hurt... or worse."

Kousuke pulled his boyfriend onto his lap and kissed him, "Don't worry, babe, we can all take care of ourselves. As long as we don't get separated from each other, we'll be fine. And I wouldn't let anything happen to you, you know that." Ayumu nodded and smiled, resting his head on Kousuke's shoulder.

They remained there for a few minutes until Kanone stood up with a grim look on his face, "It's time." they all nodded, stood, and went off to face their fate.

(A/N: I'm fast-forwarding a little bit here, but don't worry, everything will be explained in the rest of the fic)

Ayumu ran through an empty alley, he was panting from running for the last ten minutes. After they met up with the Hunters, and learned the rules of this little game those bastards put together, they had decided to split up so they were harder to find. Kanone suggested that he go with Kousuke, Eyes take Rio, and Ayumu stay with Ryoko; just so there were no... distractions (a.k.a. last minute sex) much to the dismay of many of the males...okay, hell all of the males, but Kanone had to be responsible.

Ayumu had somehow gotten separated from Ryoko, he swore she was right ahead of him, but she was much faster and must have not noticed that he left him behind. Ayumu stopped to catch his breath, figuring that he was lost anyhow and Ryoko wasn't anywhere close by. He sat down, resting his head on the wall behind him. He closed his eyes and after a few seconds, he heard a low chuckle. He snapped his eyes open and looked around. Still panting he stood up, not wanting to say anything incase it was a Hunter. He started to walk forward and all of a sudden fell over in pain, grabbing his stomach. There was still no one making themselves known yet, however. Whatever caused Ayumu's pain was his own doing. Standing again, this time a little unsteady, he reached out a hand and rested it against the wall and grabbed his stomach with the other one. He walked a few more steps before he head that chuckle again, he turned to look behind him and saw a glint of metal come flying at his head. He was knocked back several feet and blood started pouring from a gash in his head. Ayumu groaned and rolled over, trying to steady his gaze enough to see his attacker. It was the Hunter from earlier, he recognized him immediately. Ayumu did the only thing he could; he tried to run.

The Hunter, however, had different ideas and began beating Ayumu with his weapon, discarding it a few moments later and taking out a knife. He stuck it in Ayumu's stomach and grinned at the yelp of pain he received. The Hunter heard footsteps and ran off, so as not to be seen.

Kanone was walking next to Kousuke, who was, by some miracle, not talking. He seemed to understand the importance of the situation and thought it best to listen to Kanone for now. He was worried about Ayumu, but he knew that he could take care of himself. Kanone, on the other hand, was thinking about getting out of this horrid place. He wasn't a bit concerned about Eyes; he was so confident that his husband could take care of himself and Rio as well that he didn't need to be distracted with worrying about him.

He thought through the game that the Hunters came up with. There were six of them (the Blade Children and Ayumu) and only three Hunters, which automatically gave the former an advantage. The rules were incredibly vague, but the stakes were so high that Kanone could overlook it. The only rules were that the six of them had to reach a safe house on the other side of town and confirm, by voice, that they had made it there alive. The Hunters on the other hand, could do anything and everything in their power to make it so that never happened. The time limit was three hours. The stakes: if the Hunters won they would be able to rid themselves of the Blade Children; all six of their enemies had to be in the safe house at the same time to confirm they were alive. Once they went in, they couldn't leave until all of them had entered. In exactly three hours and one minute the safe house would explode, killing everyone inside. If someone hadn't made it to the safe house by then, they were most likely dead. However, if the Blade Children won, they would be free; they would never be hunted again. This would be assured by a treaty that had already been looked over by both sides and revised until it was satisfactory. Kanone didn't like the fact that the Hunters could do anything to stop them from reaching the safe house, but he was willing to let it slide, if it meant them being free.

After nearly two hours of walking in silence, Kanone spotted their destination. He nudged Kousuke and they walked quickly, but silently to the door. Kanone walked in first and saw that it wasn't that bad of a place. Even though it was basically just a living room, with a couch and several chairs, it was cozy. Kanone spotted the voice box and walked over to it. He pressed a button and stated his name, then a second later heard a chime and a voice confirm that he was off the list. Kousuke went next and then they waited impatiently, knowing the others had less than an hour to get there.

Eyes walked a short distance ahead of Rio, even though it was an extremely short distance seeing as how she was clinging onto his coat. The short girl looked up to her friend, "Eyes, the others will be okay, right?" Eyes looked down and nodded, but didn't say anything. He wanted to concentrate on getting to that safe house before they ran across a Hunter...Oops, too late.

A short distance ahead of the two grey haired Blade Children, stood a man, grinning quite evilly at them. Eyes narrowed his gaze for a second before he took a step back and gasped, "You."

The man just grinned even wider. "Ah, Eyes Rutherford, so you do recognize me. I've been thinking about you ever since our last meeting." Mr. Mystery Guest taunted Eyes, "I guess since I didn't kill you last time, I'll just have to do a better job of it this time." Yes, it was the Hunter that had shot Eyes all those years ago. Then the fool made a terrible mistake, he grinned at Rio, "And then maybe I'll have some fun with your girl there." That was his last mistake. Showing a rare burst of pure rage, Eyes lunged at the Hunter and made quick work of him. (I know you all were probably expecting more with that, but I'm tired and want this chappy to end. So, sorry, but you've still got a cliffy to look forward to.)

After reassuring Rio that he was fine for about the hundredth time, Eyes finally saw the safe house. The two walked in the door to see Kanone and Kousuke already there. Kanone looked up as Eyes walked in and ran over to him, "Eyes, I knew you would be here soon." Kanone kissed Eyes and held onto him for a minute before Eyes and Rio went over and confirmed that they were alive and well. The four made small talk until Ryoko burst through the door carrying a ragged looking Ayumu, exactly five minutes before the bomb was set to explode.

At seeing his boyfriend's bruised and bloody form, Kousuke ran over to Ayumu and took him while Ryoko said her name into the box and walked off, sitting next to Rio, "Did you make it here okay, Rio?"

Rio smiled and hugged Ryoko,"Yeah. Oh! But we ran into that Hunter that tried to kill Eyes."

"What?" Kanone asked, looking at Eyes, "What happened? Are you alright?"

Eyes smiled slightly to show Kanone he was fine, "Yes, I'm alright. He didn't do near as much damage this time around." Seeing the uncertain look on Kanone's face, Eyes leaned over and kissed him.

Kanone decided that was enough to convince him and turned his attention back to Ayumu. He had been the last to confirm that he was alive, which he was, just barely though. Kousuke saw the concerned look on Kanone's face and said simply, "We need to get him to the hospital, now." Kanone nodded in agreement and they all got up and left for the hospital.

At the hospital, the five Blade Children waited in the waiting room for the doctor to come out and tell them everything was alright. Finally after several hours, Kousuke saw Ayumu's doctor emerge from the elevator. Kousuke ran over to him and looked at him, scared of what he was about to hear. The doctor smiled comfortingly, "Don't worry, Mr. Asazuki, your friend is just fine. You can see him now if you want." Kousuke motioned for the others to follow him, but the doctor stopped him, "Sorry, only family can visit him now. I'm only allowing you to because of your close relationship with him." Kousuke had informed the doctor earlier that he and Ayumu were together and that he wanted to be informed the second he could see his boyfriend.

Kanone heard all this and walked over to the doctor, "We are his family. We're the closet thing he has, and you don't want to try and stop us from seeing him. We've all had a very long day, and would appreciate it if you would let us see him." The doctor looked at all the Blade Children at once and just nodded his head.

"Okay, sure, follow me." He led them to Aymu's room and waited for them to all ask if he was alright and get situated. After that he gave them the diagnosis, "Nothing too serious, a sprained wrist, slight concussion, his seventh rib was damaged, but it will heal with time..." He was cut off by the smirking and giggling that that comment earned him. He looked confused, not knowing the irony that now the entire group had a problem with their seventh rib. "Anyway, Mr. Asazuki. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that your little girl is just fine."

Kousuke glared at the doctor, "What the hell did you just call him? My little girl?"

The doctor blinked, "Yes, that is what I said. Is there something wrong? Oh, she...she isn't a boy is she...er, it?" The doctor flipped through the files he was holding then looked back, more confused than ever, "It says here that it's a girl."

"A girl? You idiot, he's a boy! Just look at him!" Kousuke yelled, and this guy was a _doctor_?

"Oh..." the doctor trailed off, "You...you don't know?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Last Chapter:**

"Anyway, Mr. Asazuki. I'm sure you'll be glad to know that your little girl is just fine."

Kousuke glared at the doctor, "What the hell did you just call him? My little girl?"

The doctor blinked, "Yes, that is what I said. is there something wrong? Oh, she...she isn't a boy is she...er, it." The doctor flipped through the files he was holding then looked back, more confused than ever, "It says here that it's a girl."

"A girl? You idiot, he's a boy! Just look at him!" Kousuke yelled, and this guy was a _doctor_?

"Oh..." the doctor trailed off, "You...you don't know?"

Kousuke just stared at the supposed doctor like he had grown a second head, and that head was telling him that Ayumu was a girl. Kousuke turned to Ayumu, who had found staring off into space and ignoring everyone around him a fun hobby. Kousuke cleared his throat, "Ayumu, do you know what the hell this guy is talking about?"

Deciding it was best not to ignore Kousuke, Ayumu turned to his boyfriend, "Ummm...no, not at all." To the doctor, "What do you mean girl? I'm all man."

The doctor stared at Ayumu, "But I just told you a few hours ago; we got your test results back. Mr. Narumi, you're pregnant. I informed you of this already."

"Wh-what the..." Kousuke trailed off. He looked from the doctor to Ayumu and then back again several times, "But how...Ayumu is a boy, how the hell can he be pregnant?"

The doctor sighed, "It's a very rare case, but there have been reports of male pregnancies. There are some differences, but it's all basically the same procedure."

"But...how can he, I mean he doesn't have those parts, where is the baby going to..." Kousuke stopped himself, realizing he didn't want to know _those_ details, "Never mind." Kousuke turned to Ayumu, smiling. At Ayumu's confused expression Kousuke explained, "I've always wanted a kid. When I found out I loved you, it was a little hard to accept that I would never have a child that was really mine, but I was willing to give that up. But now that we're having a baby...it's more than I could have ever asked for." He kissed Ayumu and then pulled away, concerned, "You...you are keeping it, right?"

Ayumu smiled and nodded, "Of course, especially now that I know how much it means to you. I never considered giving it up." He grabbed Kousuke's hand and closed his eyes, "I am tired though."

Kousuke bent down and kissed Ayumu's forehead, "No problem, we'll get out of your hair."

Ayumu opened one eyes, "I don't want you to leave. Stay with me?"

Kousuke grinned and kissed Ayumu's hand, "Alright, but I want to talk with the doctor, figure out everything that needs to be arranged. You know, appointments and stuff like that. I'll come back after I'm done though, okay?"

Ayumu nodded and fell asleep almost instantly. The doctor smiled and turned to Kousuke, "I'm free now if you want to go over everything you'll need to do."

"Yeah, okay." Kousuke turned to his friends, most of who were still in shock about hearing the news, "I'll talk to you guys tomorrow." The four nodded and they all said goodbye to Kousuke and the doctor and then left to go home and think back over the day's events.

The doctor explained all the differences between male and female pregnancies. They weren't anything dramatic, just stuff like Ayumu would most likely get sick at night rather than in the morning like most women. Kousuke listened to him suggest no sex while Ayumu was pregnant, seeing as how it might hurt him. Kousuke finally agreed to lay off and when he was finished gathering all the brochures and information packets that the office had, he went back to Ayumu's room. Ayumu was of course asleep, so Kousuke just crawled into his bed, minding his wounds, and wrapped his arms around his lover.

Ayumu woke up the next morning to find Kousuke nuzzling his head into Ayumu's neck. Ayumu smiled and rolled over so he was facing Kousuke, "Hey, you awake?"

Kousuke opened his eyes and smiled, "Yeah, did you know that you snore? I never realized that before."

Ayumu frowned at the question then grinned, "Maybe I do, but I can't be as loud as you. There are some nights I can't get to sleep because of the racket you make. I think one night you actually woke Rio up."

Kousuke just smirked and got out of bed, standing up and stretching, "Yeah, but you know I make snoring sexy."

Ayumu laughed out loud at this and then winced when his side started to hurt. Kousuke placed a hand on his arm, concerned, but Ayumu just grinned, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Just a little stiff."

Kousuke frowned and looked at Ayumu, "I'm sorry Ayumu, I...I let you down. I promised that I would protect you and look what happened."

Ayumu shook his head and pulled Kousuke to him, "Don't worry about it. Besides we have more important things to concentrate on."

Kousuke nodded, "Alright, the doctor told me everything we needed to know. Nothing to serious except..."

"Except what?" Seeing that his boyfriend was going to remain silent, Ayumu decided to pry, "Kousuke? What did he tell you?"

Kousuke sighed, "He said we couldn't have sex until after the baby was born. That seemed to be the only major downside though. He said that the pregnancy would only last 4-5 months, so you have the upper hand there. Some other good things come out of it, too. Like we already know the baby's sex, and we can even get a DNA test to see who the parents are. Even though we really don't need that, but we just have a lot more options than we would if you were a woman."

Ayumu grinned at how excited Kousuke was, "That's really great, Kousuke. This is a really great suprise. Though one of the high points of being a guy was I could pretty much guarantee that I was never going to get knocked up. But, as long as it's with you...it doesn't matter. I love you, and this baby is just a way of showing the world that."

Kousuke stayed with Ayumu until the brown-haired boy said he was tired again and Kousuke said he was going to go home to talk to the others and explain everything. Ayumu agreed that that was a good idea and they said goodbye. A few minutes after Kousuke left there was a knock on the door and the doctor entered, "Good afternoon, Ayumu. How are you feeling today?"

"Hey Dr. Wilson," Ayumu greeted the other man, "I'm alright. Just a little tired."

Dr. Wilson nodded, "That's to be expected, you've been through a lot. Is your boyfriend still here?"

Ayumu shook his head, "No, he just left. Why, is there something wrong?"

Wilson shook his head, "No, not at all. But I just received a phone call from my friend over in America. I told him about you and he said he would see if he could find out any more information on male pregnancies. It turns out that we can do a procedure to find out the actual date of conception; I figured I would just run it by you and see if you would be interested. There's no danger to you or your daughter and it won't cost anything."

Ayumu smiled, knowing that this news would excite Kousuke, "Absolutely. When can we get it done?"

"Actually anytime is okay. If you're too tired now we can wait until later..."

"No, I'm fine. How long will it take?" Ayumu was actually pretty tired, but he was also excited to see how far him and Kousuke were into the relationship when they conceived.

"It should only take a few minutes, it's a rather simple procedure." Ayumu nodded and climbed into the wheelchair he was offered. 20 minutes later he was back in his room and happy that he could have something to suprise Kousuke with. "I should be able to get the results back to you by the end of the day. I'll drop by before I leave tonight, okay?" Ayumu nodded and after Wilson left,he fell asleep.

Ayumu was awoken by a knock on his door and mumbled, "Come in."

Dr. Wilson entered the room and smiled, "Hello, Ayumu. Did I wake you up?"

Ayumu nodded, "Yeah, but it's okay. Did you get the results?" Ayumu asked, trying not to sound impatient, but doing a poor job of it.

Wilson nodded and smiled. He took a quick look at some papers he was holding and then focused his gaze back on Ayumu, "According to the test results, your daughter was conceived on August 17, 2002."

Ayumu looked confused, "2002? This is 2005, that was over three years ago. How can that be?"

"Didn't Kousuke tell you? Oh, perhaps I forgot to tell him."

"Tell us what?" Ayumu asked, slightly concerned that he had been pregnant for three years.

"With male pregnancies, it can take several years for the male to show any signs of being pregnant. During this time, not even the most sophisticated tests could tell if he was pregnant. Three years actually isn't the longest that I've heard of. There was a report of a man from around here that took five years to show any signs. The only way we knew is because he had only ever been with a man once."

"Wow...that's...wow. I can't believe that I've been pregnant this entire time. But me and Kousuke have had...I mean we've..."

"As far as any studies have shown it's okay for a man to continue his sexual relationship until about five or six months before the expected delivery date. You should be fine. Your baby seems healthy enough; I haven't seen one problem in any test." Wilson tried comforting Ayumu.

Ayumu thought it all through, "Yeah, okay." Ayumu froze and then looked at his doctor, "Wait, what did you say that date was again?"

The doctor looked back through his papers, "I believe it was...yes, August 17, 2002."

_"No. It can't be. How could...no, this can't be happening."_Ayumu thought.

Wilson noticed Ayumu's lack of energy all of a sudden and just chalked it up to being tired, he had woken him up after all. He looked at his watch and turned back to Ayumu, "I'm going to get out of here, unless you have any more questions?"

Ayumu just shook his head and remained in thought until the doctor left. The door shutting stirred him from his thoughts for a second and he buried his face in his hands, this was not good. He knew that date all too well. August 17, 2002; It was the night Rio had went to the hospital, the night that he had heard that Eyes was dead. It was the first night he had slept with Kanone.


	18. Chapter 18

_"Oh god."_ Ayumu thought, _"This can't be...It's Kanone's. But how could...oh, god."_ Ayumu was terrified of telling Kousuke, _"He was so happy when he found out we were having a baby, and now I have to tell him it's my ex's. I could just not tell him and let him think it was his. No, he would be able to tell; I have to give him a little credit. He has ways of knowing things I really wish he didn't. How do I tell him though? I can't do it...I'll have Dr. Wilson do it. Yeah, that sounds good. Wait, no. Then I'd have to tell him it wasn't Kousuke's."_ Ayumu sighed, this was all too complicated and he desperately needed someone to talk to. But who? He always talked to his boyfriend about things, but he couldn't talk to him about this. Rio and Ryoko were out as well. He couldn't trust Rio to keep a secret to save her life, and he just didn't know Ryoko that well. That left Kanone. How could he tell Kanone though? He knew he'd have to tell him eventually, he deserved to know, but it was like with Kousuke, he just couldn't tell him until he had talked to someone else. Someone he could trust. He wished more than anything that Hiyono were here right now, he could talk to her. He knew she wouldn't judge him and would help him, _"But she's not here. So I need someone else."_ He went back through his list and found he left someone out. Eyes. Ayumu shivered at the thought, _"No. Now way in hell can I tell him. He tried to kill me just because I was going out with Kanone; what would he do if I told him that I was having his husband's child?"_ Ayumu shivered again and thought a little more, _"Maybe I could call Madoka. She'll have to find out anyway, she will be the kid's aunt. Yeah, I'll call Madoka, she'll help."_ After Ayumu had announced that he was with Kanone, Madoka had freaked out and ran, _"Crap." _Ayumu sighed, _"She hates Kanone, maybe I shouldn't tell her quite yet. She might never talk to me again. She never accepted us and she has a new life now."_ They still kept in touch after Ayumu informed her that he and Kanone had broken up, but there's no way she would be supportive of this, and Ayumu couldn't blame her. He sighed and was lost in thought until he heard a knock on his door, "Come in." The door opened to reveal the last person Ayumu expected to come visit him, at least on his own. "Eyes? What are you doing here? Is Kanone with you?"

Eyes shook his head, "No. I need to talk with you Ayumu."

Ayumu's eyes widened, thinking that somehow Eyes knew he was carrying Kanone's child. Then Ayumu shook his head, there was no way Eyes could know, "Um, what is it?" Ayumu asked, now confused. What could Eyes need to talk with him about?

Eyes walked in, shut the door, and sat down in the seat next to Ayumu. Eyes looked out the window for a second and then turned his attention to Ayumu, "I didn't know who else to go to. I would talk to Kanone, but I need an outside opinion before I say anything to him. I decided you would be the best to talk to since you know him so well."

Ayumu wondered what secret Eyes could possibly be keeping from Kanone and nodded his head, "Okay...What is it exactly?"

"You have to promise me you won't tell Kanone, or anyone else for that matter. It's not something that I wish everyone to know."

Ayumu sympathized with Eyes, he was in the same situation, "Yeah, I promise. What is it?" Ayumu asked for the third time that night.

Eyes hesitated for a second, his eyes seeming to go out of focus in concentration. He looked back up to Ayumu, "I cheated on Kanone."

Ayumu's eyes went wide, "You...cheated on him? Why the hell would you do that, don't you love him?" Ayumu was furious, but also curious. What would possess Eyes to cheat on his husband?

"It's not exactly that simple, Ayumu." Eyes said bitterly, not entirely confident in his decision to come here, "I was at a party and I think someone drugged me." It wasn't being used as an excuse, just an explanation, Eyes never made excuses. "I realize I have to tell him, I just don't know how to go about it."

Ayumu sighed, knowing all to well what Eyes was asking him, "I can't help you with that. I have my own problems right now, but I can tell you this. If you are straight with him, I'm convinced that Kanone will understand. You still love him, that's obvious or you wouldn't feel this guilty about it. Kanone will see that, as long as you don't take this lightly, Kanone will forgive you. He may put you through some hell and never sleep with you again, but he'll understand."

Eyes glared at that last comment and then nodded, "Alright." As much as he hated to do so, he would have to trust Ayumu's judgment. His attention then switched to something Ayumu said, "You're having problems? With the baby?" He wasn't sure why he cared, but he did. Maybe it was just curiosity, or maybe he felt that he was in debt to Ayumu for helping him and not laughing at him then running and telling everyone. whatever it was, he wanted to know.

Ayumu nodded his head, "Yeah. But it's nothing to serious, it's just..." Ayumu thought how to word this, _"Could I tell Eyes? He seemed to trust my opinion and it seems like he cares...But what if he gets angry? What if he tries to attack me again? I'm still sore from the other night and I don't want to put my baby in any danger. But maybe if I tell him it's Kanone's he would want to protect it...what should I do?"_ Ayumu was shaken from his thoughts by Eyes' voice.

"Just what?" He wasn't as worried now, Ayumu had said it wasn't serious, still, he seemed hesitant to tell Eyes. That could mean it was serious, or just personal; Eyes wasn't sure.

"I found out today...my baby...isn't... She isn't Kousuke's." Ayumu looked away from Eyes, entirely convinced that the Blade Child would get it; he would know immediately that it was Kanone's.

"Not Asazuki's? Well that is a relief. We don't need any more of him around here. Do you know who's it is?"

Ayumu was upset at Eyes' comment, "Kousuke isn't that bad once you get to know him." Ayumu thought about that and realized that Eyes has known Kousuke a lot longer than Ayumu, "Well, at least that's what I think. Anyway, no, it's not his. And yes, I know whose it is. I just don't know how to tell Kousuke, or the father. It was a long time ago and he's moved on."

"Whose is it?" It wasn't that much of a question, more like a demand for information. Even though he could only think of one other man that Ayumu had been with, he still wouldn't believe it until the boy said it himself. Or until he didn't say it. Eyes knew that if the father wasn't Kanone, Ayumu would have no problem telling Eyes. Not because he trusted Eyes that much, but because if it had been anyone else, Ayumu wouldn't have loved the man, and it wouldn't have been as personal for him, but Ayumu said nothing. He was hesitating because it was Kanone. Since he went right from Kanone to Kousuke, Ayumu hadn't had any time in between for another serious relationship. That meant if the father wasn't Kanone or Kousuke, he would have concieved with some random man from a one night stand. It would be embarrassing, sure, but nothing to hide. It only took a few more seconds of Ayumu avoiding Eyes' gaze before the pianist said the words that the other boy couldn't, "Kanone."

Ayumu froze when Eyes spoke that name and he slowly turned to look at Eyes. Sadly he nodded his head, "Yeah, it was the first night that we were together." Ayumu stopped himself before he went into anymore detail, Eyes didn't need to know the details.

Eyes took a deep breath, "Why were you so hesitant to tell me?"

Ayumu looked at Eyes like he was retarded, "Well I figured you wouldn't be too happy with me having your husband's baby. And also I know how protective you are of Kanone, I remember what you did when you found out we were together. I was kind of scared to tell you because of how you would react." Ayumu was being completely honest, not trying to hide anything from Eyes, lying would so not be the thing to do right now.

Eyes thought about this and agreed, "Yes, I suppose I did overreact a bit before. You _are_ going to tell him though, correct?"

Ayumu nodded, "I have to tell him and Kousuke. I don't know which will be harder, you saw how excited Kousuke was...this is going to break his heart."

Eyes nodded, "Yes, Kousuke is very loyal to you though, he won't hate you for this."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right. And it's not like I cheated on him or anything." Ayumu regretted that comment. He looked at Eyes who was glaring at him, "I didn't mean anything by that..." Eyes just shook his head and Ayumu knew that he knew he wasn't being sarcastic, "I just don't know how to tell him, there's no good way to do it." Then Ayumu had another thought, "Poor Kanone, this is going to be a lot for him to take. Do you think he'll be okay with all of this?"

Eyes shook his head again, "I don't know. The real question is who will tell him first?"

Before Ayumu could answer a voice sounded from the doorway, "Tell me what?"

Eyes turned around and saw Kanone standing there, smiling that same loving smile he always had on. Eyes didn't want to be the one to wipe that smile off his face, "Kanone. What are you doing here?"

"Well I got home and you were gone so I figured I'd come and visit Ayumu. Just to make sure he was doing okay. And what are you doing here Eyes? I didn't expect you to come here of your own free will."

Eyes sighed and decided that hiding his secret from Kanone was the same to lying as him, and Kanone hated lying above everything else. Eyes certainly didn't want Kanone to hate him, and trusting in Ayumu's words, Eyes spilled. "I came here to get Ayumu's opinion on something."

"Really? Why didn't you just ask me?" Kanone was confused now, why would his husband go to Ayumu when he could have just talked to Kanone?

"Because it...it was about you. I didn't know how to tell you so I thought that Ayumu would be a good person to ask, seeing as how he knows you so well."

"About me? What about me? Eyes, what are you hiding?" Kanone became worried, Eyes never hid anything from him, what could be so important that he couldn't come to Kanone for help. More importantly what could be so important that involved Kanone?

Eyes sighed, looked away for a moment and then into Kanone's eyes, "You know that party I went to a few days ago?"

"Yes..." Kanone became wary, he remembered very well. He got a call from Eyes' producer saying that the pianist was in the hospital. It was strange but Kanone never made an attempt to find out what happened, he had been to concerned about Eyes to question him and everyone else he asked just said they didn't know.

"That night...someone drugged me..."

"Wh-what? Eyes, what happened? Who did it?"

Eyes shook his head, "I'm not sure of the details, I was a little out of it. The only thing I know for sure is that I slept with someone and then blacked out. The next thing I knew I was in the hospital and you were there. Kanone, I..."

"Stop." Kanone went back over Eyes' words, "Eyes, I don't want to hear any apologies."

Eyes stared at Kanone, very convinced that his husband was pissed and would request a divorce immediately, he knew he shouldn't have said anything else. Just let Kanone think, but he couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut, "Kanone, please. I didn't..."

"Eyes, I said be quiet!" Kanone shouted. This surprised everyone in the room, especially Kanone. He had only ever yelled at Eyes once and that was when he had gotten suspended for getting into a fight at school for no reason. Eyes started crying (remember, this was a long time ago) and Kanone felt so guilty that he promised never to shout at him again. "I didn't mean to yell..." Kanone started to apologize, but Eyes just shook his head.

"I deserve it. Just, Kanone...don't hate me for this. Please." Eyes was begging, he was seriously desperate; he didn't think he could live without Kanone. The older man had been his best friend, his entire world for as long as Eyes could remember.

Kanone smiled warmly and kissed his husband. This took Eyes by surprise but he didn't complain. Kanone pulled away and laughed at Eyes' shocked face, "Eyes, you said you were drugged, why in the world would I be mad at you when you were very clearly taken advantage of? The only thing I should be is grateful that you're alright. And I'm only slightly disappointed that you weren't more careful; it could have been a Hunter that drugged you. They could have killed you, Eyes."

Said boy was relieved beyond reason that Kanone wasn't upset, "I know, Kanone. I'll be more careful, I promise. I love you."

Kanone smiled at this, Eyes rarely ever said the phrase first, "I love you, too Eyes." Kanone kissed Eyes once more and turned to Ayumu, "So, Ayumu, how's the baby? Everything okay?"

Ayumu seeing how well Kanone took Eyes' news decided to go for it. "Actually, Kanone, I need to tell you something that I found out today."

Kanone became concerned, "What is it...is everything alright?" Ayumu hesitated which made Kanone even more concerned, "Ayumu?" He gently pried.

Ayumu sighed and looked up to Kanone, preparing to tell him the news.


	19. Chapter 19

Kanone stared dumbfounded at Ayumu, "Mine? It's...I mean, she's mine?" Ayumu nodded, "But... how? We haven't been together for three years." Kanone's eyes widened and he turned towards Eyes, "I swear I haven't been with him, Eyes..."

Eyes smiled slightly, "It's okay, Ayumu has already explained everything to me."

Kanone turned back to Ayumu, "Care to explain to_ me_? How do you know she's mine?"

"Dr. Wilson explained everything. He said that his friend in America had a way to find out when a male conceived. I decided it would be a nice surprise... for Kousuke. Wilson said the date was August 17, 2002, thought..." Ayumu trailed off.

"The first night we were together." Kanone remembered. He smiled slightly at the memory. He also recalled reading something about male pregnancies, and how it could take several years for the man to show any signs. Kanone, realizing that the child could very well be his, sighed.

Ayumu was touched that Kanone remembered the night and nodded, "Yeah."

Kanone sighed again, "Have you told Kousuke yet?"

Ayumu shook his head, "No. I only found out tonight. I...I just don't know _how_ to tell him. He was so happy when he found out..." Ayumu looked out the window.

Kanone walked over to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Whatever you decide to do and whenever you do it, I want you to know I'll be here to support you. I know you'll make the right choice." Kanone then looked to Eyes, "You're okay with this, right?" Eyes only nodded, but that was enough. Kanone then turned his attention once again to Ayumu, "So have you thought about what you're going to do? In the long run, I mean."

Ayumu shook his head, "I've just been so worried about telling everyone I haven't had time to think about anything else. I'm going to keep her, of course. Other than that I really don't know. I suppose me and Kousuke will raise her, unless you want to help. There's no pressure though, I know you and Eyes probably don't need this kind of responsibility sprung on you." Ayumu decided this was for the best. Then something occurred to him, "Of course if you want to, I won't stop you. She is your daughter, too."

Kanone considered all of this, "I...I don't really know what to say, Ayumu. Of course I want to be a part of her life, but..." Kanone glanced at Eyes, "I'll have to discuss it with the wife." He joked.

Eyes smirked and walked over to join Kanone at Ayumu's bedside, "Remind me again; who was it that wore the dress at our wedding?" It was true, all of the others had talked Kanone into wearing a dress. Kanone chuckled and Eyes kissed him gently, "If you want to help Ayumu raise your daughter, I've got no place to stop you, and also no problem with it. Whatever will make you happy."

Kanone smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Eyes. Okay, then all we need to do is talk to Kousuke, right?"

Ayumu nodded, "That's easier said then done, though. I just hope he doesn't take it too hard. He's supposed to be coming by later tonight, I guess I'll tell him then." Ayumu looked at the two men, "I should probably do it alone, though." Kanone nodded and the two left, leaving Ayumu to wait for his boyfriend.

Kousuke came a little later, entering the room without knocking and startling Ayumu. Kousuke walked over and kissed Ayumu, "Sorry, did I scare you?"

Ayumu smiled and blushed, "Just a little. It's alright. So, how are you?"

"I'm much better now. Sorry I couldn't come sooner; Rio wouldn't go to sleep." Kousuke sat down next to Ayumu, "How are you and the baby?" Kousuke asked, rubbing Ayumu's stomach gently.

Ayumu closed his eyes and smiled at the gesture, "We're just fine." Then remembering what he had to do he opened his eyes and looked at Kousuke sadly, "Actually, Kousuke, I need to tell you something. About the baby..." Ayumu swallowed hard and looked away for a second, then back to Kousuke's worried face.

"What is it? Is something wrong? Is she okay?" The worried boy said in a rush, painc and worry clouding his face.

"She's just fine, don't worry. It's just...she's...Kousuke, I don't know how to tell you this." Ayumu searched for the right words, but couldn't find a way to let him down easy. The truth was, there was no good way to tell your boyfriend that the child you're having isn't his, but your ex's.

"Ayumu whatever it is, you can tell me. Please, this is scaring me."

"Okay. Kousuke, Dr. Wilson told me today...our baby...She's not yours."

Kousuke just stared at him, only one thought went through his head, "You...you cheated on me?" He let go of Ayumu's hand and stood up.

Before he could leave, Ayumu jumped out of his bed and ran over to him, grabbing his wrist and spinning him around. Kousuke turned and glared at Ayumu, "Leave me alone Ayumu. I don't want to talk to you right now." When Ayumu wouldn't let go Kousuke punched him square in the nose and sent him crumbling to the floor. Kousuke walked out and left Ayumu there, gasping for breath. When Ayumu made it back to his bed, all he could do was sit there and feel sorry for himself.

_"Why did it have to turn out this way? Why wouldn't he just listen to me? Does he hate me now?" _Ayumu couldn't control the paranoia that went through his head, _"What if he never talks to me again and never lets me explain? I can't lose him, I love him too much. What am I supposed to do?"_ Ayumu shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out the thoughts he was having, falling into a restless sleep.

The next morning wasn't much better, Ayumu wouldn't eat anything until his doctor advised him it would be bad for the baby to not eat. With that taken care of, Ayumu rejected any visitors he might have had, including Rio and Ryoko, who came by to see how he was. When Dr. Wilson said that Kanone was here, Ayumu said to let him in. When Kanone and Eyes walked in they both immediately noticed the bruise that had resulted from Kousuke punching him. Kanone ran over to him, "Ayumu, what in the world happened?"

"I...I told Kousuke that the baby wasn't his. He left before I could explain; he thinks that I cheated on him."

Kanone hugged Ayumu and even Eyes put a hand on his shoulder. Kanone spoke up then, softly grazing the bruise with his hand, "Did he do this to you?" When Ayumu was silent, Kanone's heart ached and hugged Ayumu, softly kissing his forehead, "Don't worry. He won't hurt you again, I promise." Ayumu started to cry softly and Kanone felt even worse,_ "I should have been here with him. I shouldn't have just left him like that."_ Kanone continued to hold onto Ayumu until Eyes put a hand on his shoulder, letting Kanone know that he was leaving. Kanone nodded, "I'll be out in a little bit." After Eyes was gone, Kanone turned back to Ayumu, "Are you okay? That bruise looks pretty bad. Why in the world did he hit you? Just because he thought you were cheating on him?"

Ayumu nodded, "I just wish he would have let me explain, I don't know if he'll ever talk to me again. I don't want to lose him."

Kanone sighed, knowing how Ayumu felt, "It'll be okay. You know Kousuke, he gets worked up, but eventually he calms down. Just give him time and he'll come around. But I want to be here next time; I don't want to leave you alone with him until I'm sure he won't hurt you." Ayumu nodded, even though it hurt that his ex seemed more concerned about him than his current boyfriend, if that's what Kousuke was anymore; Ayumu didn't know. After a few more minutes, Kanone stood, convinced that Ayumu was as okay as he could be, "I've got to go, Eyes is waiting. If Kousuke stops by, call me, okay? No matter when." Ayumu nodded again and they said goodbye.

When Kanone entered the waiting room of the hospital he was told by the receptionist that Eyes had gone home. Kanone thanked her and walked outside. He had a lot of pent up frustration, mostly pointed at Kousuke. he wanted nothing more than to beat the redhead right now for what he did to Ayumu, but he knew that would only result in upsetting Ayumu, so he decided to find another outlet for his frustration; and he knew exactly who to go to. Now, it's agreed that Kanone can be the most scary person on the face of the planet when he wants to, and this was one of those times. With barely no information on the person he was hunting down, he was able to find her house in under an hour. Don't ask me how, but he ended up standing outside the residence of one Miranda Starling, an even glint in his eyes and a murderous grin on his face. Oh yes, this girl would pay for what she had done.

Kanone walked up to her door and knocked on it. A small boy of about five years old answered, "Yes? Can I help you mister?"

Kanone smiled at the child, "Yes I was wondering if Miranda is home?" The boy nodded and ran back inside. A moment later a skinny brunette walked to the door and looked at Kanone warily, "Miranda?" Kanone asked.

The girl nodded, "Yes, and who are you? I don't believe we've met."

Kanone shook his head and put on that smile that you could tell (if you knew him) meant that whoever was receiving the smile was in for a world of pain. If you didn't know him, however, like Miranda, then that smile would seem the kindest in the world, "I came here with a message from Eyes Rutherford."

"Eyes?" Her eyes got huge, "Ohmigod! What did he say? He remembers me? Ohmigod!"

Kanone nodded and smiled again, knowing how much he was going to love making this girl suffer, "Yes, you were the one he was with a few nights ago, correct?"

Miranda nodded, "Yes, we slept together. And just between us, he's great in bed!"

_"Oh you don't have to tell me, I know that quite well."_ Kanone thought, "Well he says that he's been thinking about you ever since, and he asked me to come here and take you to him. Are you free now?"

The hyperactive girl nodded again and nearly screamed, "Yes, I'm unbelievably free. Just wait a second, let me get my purse."

"Okay." Kanone said, _"I suppose I could use some money."_ He thought evilly; trying to decide what the most ironic thing he could buy with it would be. The girl came back a second later, practically glowing. Kanone smiled again, wanting so bad to diminish that glow right now, but he would lead her on for a few more minutes; the higher you jump, the harder you'll crash back down to the ground. "Ready?" He asked.

She nodded, "Yes, take me to my Eyes now!"

_"Your Eyes?"_ Kanone thought, nearly laughing at the girl's stupidity, _"Not in this lifetime."_ He knew exactly how he would break it to her as well.

As they went outside, she looked around, "Where is you car?" She looked to him.

He smiled, "It's such a nice night, I figured we'd walk. It's not too far. That's okay, right?" Miranda nodded and they walked towards Eyes' place. Kanone would have gone in a different direction, just to be sure not to run into his husband, but he figured the obsessed girl would know exactly where the obsessee lived.

After a few minutes Miranda turned to Kanone, "So, how do you know Eyes? I've never seen you backstage at any of his shows. And I've been backstage at all of them."

Kanone decided this was as good a time as any and he motioned for her to follow him down an alley. At her hesitation he explained, "It's a shortcut; you want to see Eyes as soon as possible, right?" Kanone was proud of himself, this indeed was a shortcut to Eyes' place, and damned if the girl didn't know that fact.

Miranda nodded knowingly and followed him, confident that everything was finally going her way, "So, you never answered my question."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Eyes' husband, Kanone. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miranda, was it?" He turned to her with that same smile and offered her his hand.

She smiled and started to shake his hand before his words registered, "Wait...his husband? That's really not funny. Eyes isn't gay. You must not know him very well if you didn't know that, and also very desperate. Wait, do you even know him?"

"Of course I do. I just told you I'm his husband. We've been married for more than two years now. You must not know him very well if you didn't know that. And also very, _very_ desperate to think that he has thought of you for a single moment except for when he was explaining to me how you drugged and took advantage of him. I must say, I don't approve of your behavior; and you should know that I'm very protective of Eyes and don't take kindly to what you've done."

Miranda's eyes were bulging out of her head by now and she had started shaking, "Wh-what are you going to do to me?"

Kanone smiled that smile and Miranda could now see the evil glint in his eyes and the malice that he had towards her, "Oh, I'm just going to make sure you know what you did was wrong. I'm usually above this type of punishment. But I've got a lot of pent up rage and I've just found my outlet." The girl tried to run, but of course that wouldn't work. Kanone grabbed her wrist and slammed her hard against the wall. She cried out in pain and fell to her kness. Kanone picked her up by the hair and slammed his fist into her face, effectively breaking her nose and several other bones. She started crying and Kanone shut her up by slapping her, "Now be quiet. Don't worry, the pain will be gone soon." Kanone applied a great amount of force to her shoulder and broke that as well, "Of course, until then you will be in a great deal of pain." He punched her once more in the stomach and finally let her fall to the ground. He pulled out a knife and kneeled down beside her, taking her purse and rummaging through it, he pulled out her wallet. He looked through it and pulled out the money; only about $100, but it would have to do.

He leaned towards her, knife in hand. He was about to end her suffering before she found her voice, "Please don't kill me. I have a son; you saw him, he's too young to be by himself and his father was killed only a few months ago. Please, I'm sorry that I drugged Eyes, I was just so depressed because of my husband and I just wanted someone. It could have been anyone, but it was Eyes."

Kanone shook his head, "That's a lie; you're obsessed with Eyes."

Miranda shook and started crying again, "Okay, I am. But I'll stay away from him, I promise. And everything else was true, I really do have a son and his father is dead. I had been after Eyes for such a long time, but he's always rejected me. So I decided I had to get him, and...you know the rest."

Kanone didn't feel bad for the girl one bit; she had had this coming. But as a soon to be father, he didn't want her son to be all alone in this world. He stood and looked down at her, "Your legs are fine, so I expect that you will be able to get home okay? It's not that far." The girl simply nodded weakly and Kanone left, a lot more relaxed.


	20. Chapter 20

Kousuke was walking to his house when he decided going home might not be the best idea, _"If they've found out what I did to Ayumu. Especially if Kanone is there."_ Kousuke knew the other two that he lived with should be asleep by now, but he also knew that that just wouldn't happen, _"It's never peaceful there."_ Sighing, Kousuke decided to just take a walk. His feet led him to a park; he remembered this park from a few months back

_Flashback_

Ayumu and Kousuke were walking home when Ayumu spotted something on the ground. He let go of Kousuke's hand and ran over to it. He picked it up and stared for a second until he ran back over to Kousuke and handed it to him, "What did you find, Ayumu?" Kousuke felt like he was talking to a five-year-old, but enjoyed how innocent it made Ayumu seem.

"I don't really know, but it's pretty. Look at it." It was a small, oddly shiny stone attached to a chain. It looked like it should be a necklace, but the chain was way too small to fit around either of their necks; so Ayumu took Kousuke's hand and put it around his wrist. It, of course, was a perfect fit and Ayumu smiled as he kissed his boyfriend, "Happy anniversary." They had gotten together exactly three years ago and had gone out to dinner to celebrate. Ayumu hadn't had time to go out and buy a decent present, he was also lacking in funds. Kousuke had payed for dinner and also had "dessert" back at the house.

Kousuke grinned and kissed Ayumu back, "Thanks, I love it." Even though he thought people would think he was gay for wearing a bracelet, "That my boyfriend gave me. Duh, I am gay." Besides, when did Kousuke start caring what people thought of him? He hadn't, so he just laced his fingers through Ayumu's and continued their peaceful walk home.

_End Flashback_

Kousuke looked down at his wrist, and damn if that bracelet wasn't there, all shiny and perfect, _"Just like Ayumu."_ Kousuke thought, _"No, dammit! He cheated on me, and he thought he could get away with it. Why the hell would he tell me that the kid wasn't mine? What if it looked exactly like him, I would have never been able to tell the difference."_ Kousuke was pissed again and went to sit on a bench, _"But maybe he told me because he didn't want to hide anything from me. He knows how much I hate that. But he cheated on me, why? What wasn't I giving him? Wasn't I good enough? Maybe he was forced into it, or tricked. Oh god, what if he was raped...no. No! He would have told me about something like that. What if he was too embarrassed, though? Oh no, what if something bad happened to him and when he tried to tell me I just...I need to talk to him." _With worry in his heart, Kousuke practically ran to the hospital.

Kousuke burst through the hospital doors and ran past a few startled patients and a confused receptionist. He reached Ayumu's room and took a few deep breaths, reminding himself to hear Ayumu out before he did anything this time. Kousuke walked into his boyfriend's room (At lest Kousuke hoped like hell that Ayumu still wanted to be his boyfriend). He walked in...

...and right into Kanone, who was on his way out. Eyes was right behind him and when they saw Kousuke their expression changed, Kanone's to one of anger and hatred and Eyes'...well, Eyes' face didn't really change because it never really does, but you could tell he was pissed. Kanone stepped back to let Kousuke in, but reached Ayumu before the redhead, putting a protective arm around him. Even Eyes situated himself, so he could get ready to beat Kousuke's face in if he made a wrong move. Then Kanone spoke, and it was the about the most scary thing Kousuke ever heard; he could practically hear the venom dripping off of the older boy's words, "What do you want here, Asazuki. Haven't you done enough already?"

"I need to talk to Ayumu." Kousuke stated and Kanone just stared, "Alone." Kousuke added.

Kanone laughed at this, "Not on your life, Kousuke. Which, right now, I'm not holding in very high regard."

"Kanone, look, I know what you must think, that I'm a horrible person, punching a pregnant man, but you know as well as I do why I did it; so don't give me your crap!" _"What the hell am I doing? _Justifying_ my reason for hitting Ayumu? I'm pretty sure that's not the thing to do right now."_

Kanone looked a bit confused and then turned to glance at Ayumu, "He...doesn't know, does he?"

Ayumu shook his head, "I couldn't explain anything. Kanone, maybe you should go..."

"No, Ayumu. I'm not leaving; I left last time and look what happened."

Kousuke felt a pang of guilt and took a few steps towards the three. Eyes glared at the advancing boy and Kanone turned back around, "What don't I know? Ayumu? Kanone? Dammit, someone tell me."

Kanone sighed, "Alright, but just try to control yourself, Kousuke. The truth is..."

Ayumu placed a hand on Kanone's arm, "Maybe I should tell him." Kanone nodded, "Kousuke, I didn't cheat on you. But the baby isn't yours...she's Kanone's."

Kousuke stood there in shock, _"Kanone's...he cheated on me...with Kanone. And judging from Eyes' expression he's okay with this. Should I be, too?No way in hell!"_ Kousuke needed to seriously vent this anger and frustration he had, but he couldn't do anything here, not to anyone here. Not that he had anything against Eyes anymore, but either Kanone or Ayumu would have been a good outlet for his anger. Especially Kanone...no, Ayumu...no, Kanone. Kousuke didn't know, he wanted to beat them both. But just thinking about it helped nothing. Kousuke just turned around and walked out of the room, no one trying to stop him.

Ayumu sighed and turned to Kanone, "How much you wanna bet he didn't hear the first part." Kanone nodded and the three of them just waited, for what they weren't exactly sure, but they waited nonetheless.

Kousuke was furious and he needed to beat something up. He decided to go home; maybe Ryoko would piss him off enough to go after her. He knew he shouldn't think like that, but right now he honestly couldn't care less. When he got home, the two girls were actually asleep, _"Of all the nights."_ Kousuke thought and then walked into the kitchen, knowing exactly how to get rid of his anger.

Ryoko walked into the kitchen the next morning and stopped, her eyes widening at the sight. She rushed to the phone and dialed a number she knew all too well. Ayumu's cell phone rang and he was surprised, he didn't think he could get reception in the hospital. He answered it and a few moments later he thanked the person on the other line and said goodbye, then hung up and looked at the two men that were still in his room. Kanone had been so concerned that Kousuke would come back last night that he stayed the entire night. Eyes stayed with him, wanting to be there if anything happened. Now Kanone saw the sadness and fear in Ayumu's eyes and got up to walk over to the boy, "Ayumu? What is it? Who was on the phone?"

Ayumu swallowed a few times before he found his voice, "That...that was Ryoko." Ayumu managed to get out before he broke down crying.

Kanone just stood there, hugging Ayumu for a few minutes, trying to comfort him, "Shh. it's alright Ayumu, just tell me what she said." Ayumu honestly tried to talk, but couldn't; he was crying too hard, and it looked like he wasn't stopping anytime soon. Kanone decided to grab his own phone and dialed Ryoko's number,"Yes, hello, Ryoko. Yes, it's Kanone. What did you say to Ayumu? Yes, I'm here with him. What? He...I see. Thank you, Ryoko. Yes, I'll see you later. Oh, you're coming here now? Okay, goodbye." Kanone shut his phone and then looked to Eyes, "I'm going downstairs to wait for Ryoko."

Eyes nodded, "Kanone? What happened?"

Kanone sighed, "It's Kousuke...that stupid boy."

Eyes became alert, "What did he do?" Eyes' thoughts immediately went to Rio, if Kousuke went home as angry as he was and Rio bugged him enough... _"No."_ Eyes thought,_ "If he had hurt Rio Kanone would be much more upset and Ayumu wouldn't be crying this hard...if at all."_ So Eyes looked to his partner, waiting for an answer.

Kanone sighed again, "He..." Kanone glanced to Ayumu and then walked over to Eyes, deciding Ayumu didn't need to hear those words again for a while. Kanone bent down to whisper in Eyes' ear, "He went home last night and apparently he...he killed himself."


	21. Chapter 21

It was a few days after Kousuke had been announced dead, and now they were all in Ayumu's hospital room; Kanone, Eyes, Rio, Ryoko, and, of course, Ayumu. Ayumu had calmed down and stopped crying his heart out, but he was definitely moody and didn't really say much to the others. He had lost so many people; Kousuke, Hiyono, even Madoka seemed dead to him now. _"Why?"_ He thought,_ "Why did this happen? Why wouldn't he just listen to me? Why did he have to go to such extremes? I loved him so much, and now he's gone. I can't hope for what Kanone got; I can't expect Kousuke to come back and love me again."_ Ayumu looked to Eyes and Kanone, thinking how lucky they were, especially Kanone; he had gotten the love of his life back, and Eyes was okay with the baby thing; he had listened calmly to the explanation, not like Kousuke,_ "He was always so impulsive. I honestly thought he loved me enough to at least let me explain. I guess not."_ The thought that Kousuke loved Ayumu so much that he was so hurt by the fact that he thought Ayumu had cheated on him never occurred to Ayumu; he was simply to upset to think of anything rational. And so the five of them sat there, their group had diminished in the past few months so drastically. It just didn't seem right.

Other than Ayumu, Ryoko took the news the hardest. She knew that Kousuke would never love her like she did him, but she could always hope. And even if that ran out, they were still friends and it hurt a lot to lose him. She couldn't blame anyone either; and she suddenly felt so guilty for hitting him all those times and calling him an idiot when he was only looking out for her. Next was Rio, who couldn't seem to control the tears that were flowing down her face. She was sitting in between Eyes and Kanone while Ryoko sat in the seat next to Ayumu. They all sat there, each thinking about something different. Ayumu about the loss of his boyfriend, Ryoko about the loss of her best friend and object of affection, Rio about the loss of her friend that she could depend on no matter what. Eyes was thinking only how Kousuke had gotten what he deserved and Kanone was thinking about how pleased he was that Kousuke was gone, so he could never hurt Ayumu again; even though him being gone seemed to leave his ex with a hole in his heart that Kanone wasn't sure could be filled. They were all thinking about one thing though, "Kousuke." Ayumu startled himself and the others when he spoke. He didn't say anything else and neither did the others, they just sat there. None of them really knew what to say.

Finally the silence got to Kanone and he spoke up, trying to lighten the mood, even though he knew it wouldn't be possible, "So, Ayumu, when are you getting out of the hospital?"

Ayumu looked at Kanone and thought about it, "What's today?"

"September 12th." Kanone answered.

Ayumu thought for a second later, "Actually I can leave today."

Kanone brightened up at this, if he could get Ayumu out of this place, then maybe he could take the boy's mind off of his deceased boyfriend, "That's great. So are you just going home? Me and Eyes were thinking about going out later, would you like to join us?"

Ayumu shook his head, "Nah, I've been really tired lately. I think I'll just go home and go to sleep."

Kanone frowned at this and was about to agree when Rio spoke up, "Come on, Ayumu. You don't want to be in that big house all by yourself. Ryoko and I are going with Kanone and Eyes, you have to come. It'll be good for you!"

Ayumu smiled at the girl, at all of them really, "I know what you guys are trying to do; get my mind off of Kousuke. It's really okay, though, I don't need any cheering up. I'm not in the mood right now. And you guys don't have to stay here, if you're going out; I can get home just fine."

Kanone was about to object when Eyes placed a hand on Kanone's shoulder and motioned to his watch. Kanone checked his watch and realized that they had to leave. Kanone smiled and turned to Ayumu and nodded, "Okay, then Ayumu." He stood and turned to the others, "Is everyone ready?" Eyes and Ryoko nodded while Rio just jumped out of her chair and ran to the door; it was her first time going to a club, she was finally old enough. Everyone said bye to Ayumu and Kanone turned to him, "If you need anything you know to call me. Whenever and whatever it is that you need. You understand?" Ayumu nodded and the Blade Child left to catch up with his friends and husband.

About an hour later Ayumu decided that it was no use staying here any longer and got everything that he owned from the room. He then proceeded to check himself out and walk home. On his way home he heard a noise behind him, he ignored it, figuring it was one of the many stray cats that hung around his neighborhood; one of the reasons Ayumu actually liked this place, he had picked up Kanone's fondness of cats during the brief period that they were dating. Ayumu, however, soon heard footsteps behind him and froze when a familiar voice spoke his name, "Hey, Ayumu. Long time, no see."

Ayumu spun around and stared into the face that he had wanted to see for the past few nights, "Oh my god." Was all he could say.


	22. Chapter 22

Ayumu stared at the man in front of him, "K-Kiyotaka? How...you're...but..." Ayumu couldn't comprehend that his older brother that had been missing for five years was just...there.

"Hey, Ayumu, how have you been?" Kiyotaka asked, cool as ever; not at all phased by his younger brother's reaction. Of course, he would have seen it coming, being Kiyotaka and all.

"I...I've..." Ayumu finally grasped the fact that it was his brother standing in front of him,_"Where has he been? What changed to bring him back? Is it because of that showdown we had with the Hunters? If so...am I the reason he's back; did I at least help? Has he seen the others? Does he even know them that well?"_ A million and one other questions like those flew through his head before he shook his mind of them; he have to ask them later. Right now his brother was staring at him, expecting an answer with a smirk on his face, just loving how much he startled the younger one. Ayumu decided to answer, "I've been...good. What about you?"

Kiyotaka smiled, "You're lying; you just came from the hospital. Why?"

Ayumu sighed, he'd forgotten his brother was exactly like Kanone; they both could smell a lie from a mile away. And they both always got Ayumu to talk about it, "Yeah, okay. I've been in the hospital because... I was attacked. By the Hunters." Ayumu wasn't really lying, that was the reason he _was_ originally in the hospital. He'd tell his brother that he was pregnant later.

Kiyotaka's expression changed a little; he wasn't as expressionless as Eyes, he smiled sometimes, even though it was usually that same smug smile he always had when he knew he was right about something. But he was far from emotional, Ayumu couldn't recall ever seeing his older brother cry or laugh out loud for real; he had this fake laugh that no one who didn't know him would think it was genuine, though it was far from it. Kiyotaka smiled again, that same smile, Ayumu had forgotten how much he hated that smile, and yet how much he had missed it, missed _him_. "The Hunters? So you've followed in my footsteps once again, little brother? Though I can't blame you, you've always followed my lead, I couldn't expect you to do anything else."

Kiyotaka seemed cruel, in Ayumu's opinion, he hadn't seen his brother in five years and he was already mocking him? Ayumu had learned long ago, through Hiyono and the Blade Children and even Madoka, to believe in himself and realize he wasn't anything like his brother...hee was better. It was Ayumu, not Kiyotaka that had been there in the final showdown to save the Blade Children once and for all. And it was Ayumu that the Blade Children had finally trusted and had gotten to know so well. It was also Ayumu that had been there for them in their times of pain and joy, it was all Ayumu, while Kiyotaka had been where? Hiding. Yes, Ayumu was very much superior to his brother, and now he knew that. "You know what Kiyotaka? I haven't followed in your footsteps at all."

Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow and chuckled at this, "Oh, is that so, Ayumu? So you _haven't_ been involved with the Blade Children?"

_"Oh, yeah, in more ways than even you could comprehend."_ Ayumu thought, but he'd save that for later; for now he had to prove his brother wrong, it would make him feel so much better, "Yeah, I _have_ been involved with them, but unlike you, I've helped the Blade Children. I'm not like you at all, instead of just running and hiding, I faced my problems and didn't push them off onto someone else." Ayumu smiled, _that_ should show him.

Unfortunately, another trait Kiyotaka had in common with Kanone, all of the Blade Children, really; he never accepted defeat, "Is that what you think I did? Ayumu, _you_ of all people should know that I would never pass off my responsibilities on others. The truth is, I was never meant to save the Blade Children, that was all on you. I'm actually surprised that you pulled through. I would have figured that you would back out and I would have to step in and finish what you started. But, I suppose you did impress me with that."

Ayumu was shocked, "If _I_ was the one meant to save them, then where have _you _been these past five years? What could the great Kiyotaka possibly have to hide from?"

Kiyotaka chuckled again, "You think I was hiding? Ayumu, I thought that if I showed up that you would look to me for help, or better yet, that you would try and get me to take care of it for you. That's why I've been gone. But now it seems that you've saved them. So I figured it was safe to come back."

Ayumu stared at his brother in disbelief; mostly because he didn't believe him, "You're lying." Was all he said; it was so obvious.

That took the smile off of his brother's face," What are you talking about? Why would I lie? I have nothing to hide." Kiyotaka said, smugly, knowing deep down that his younger brother was right; of course he would never admit it.

"If you were that worried that I would ask for your assistance, then you would have just told me to deal with my own problems. And if you really believed that I was destined to deal with the Blade Children and not you, you wouldn't have worried that I would ask for your help. Admit it, you were hiding from something...but what?"

Kiyotaka sighed, how had his brother become like this; almost superior to him. "If you really believe I was hiding, Ayumu, then answer this: What could I have to hide from, seeing as how you dealt with everything so easily?"

Ayumu shook his head, "I really don't know. The Hunters? I figured you could outsmart them...although even Kanone had a tough time with that one."

This got Kiyotaka's attention, "You've been in touch with Kanone?" Somehow this surprised the older brother, he had always thought Kanone wouldn't like Ayumu.

Ayumu couldn't help but laugh at this, _"Oh yeah, I've been in touch with him alright. In fact, I'm gonna have his baby in a few months."_ Ayumu really couldn't wait to tell his brother about that, he was looking forward to seeing the shocked expression, nothing ever surprised his brother, "Yeah, we didn't get along too well at first, but we grew together. I guess you could say that for all of them." Ayumu thought about it; it was true. Eyes had been so cold the first time Ayumu met him; telling him he would always be a loser, and just a few days ago he was there to protect Ayumu from Kousuke. Rio had grown to like Ayumu as well, and Kousuke...well, we won't get into that right now. Ryoko, of course, was neutral about it all, but Ayumu thought that he had grown on her as well.

Kiyotaka nodded, "For once I'm in shock, Ayumu. I never thought you'd manage to befriend them; even I couldn't do that. At least willingly."

Ayumu was confused now, "What? Willingly...you don't like the Blade Children?"

Kiyotaka laughed, "No, not one bit. Kanone was the only one I could stand and he was...interesting at best. That was simply because he didn't agree with my views; the only person I've met to do so." Kiyotaka would never tell Ayumu that Kanone was the reason he was hiding; he was terrified of the man. He was scary beyond belief and he challenged Kiyotaka, this had never been done before by anyone. Kiyotaka always seemed so confident that everyone just assumed he knew what he was talking about so they never asked for any proof beyond the physical stuff. Kanone was different and when Kiyotaka couldn't provide him with a definite answer, Kanone became angry and left, vowing that Kiyotaka would pay for taking his friends from him. By this, of course, he'd meant Eyes. Eyes had followed Kiyotaka so willingly, telling Kanone that he was wrong. That was the last straw and Kanone left for several years.

Ayumu looked deep into his brother's eyes and tried to tell if he was lying; deciding that he couldn't tell for sure, he let it drop. He was tired anyhow and wanted to go home, "We'll talk about this later. So are you staying anywhere?"

Kiyotaka grinned and shook his head, "No, I only got here a few hours ago. Are you offering me a room? I would like to see Madoka again."

Ayumu sighed, how was he going to explain this? He decided to go for the basics and hope Kiyotaka didn't ask any questions, "Madoka isn't here, she's gone."

Kiyotaka looked slightly confused, "Gone? You mean...dead?" It would upset him, he had actually loved Madoka, though he had never needed her like she needed him.

Ayumu shook his head, "No, she moved a few years ago. I have a phone number but that's about it."

Of course Kiyotaka would always want the details, "Why would she leave? Did she get involved with the Blade Children as well?" Kiyotaka asked, mildly concerned; Madoka was in no way cut out to deal with them. They were too violent for her.

"In a way, yes. But it's mostly because I got involved with them that she left. Kanone had put her in danger and she never trusted him after that. When she learned that we were...friends," _"Not yet, can't tell him yet."_ Ayumu repeated to himself over and over; even though it was very hard. It was like solving a case where there were very few clues and no one else could figure it out; Ayumu had that same adrenaline rush now; knowing that he would soon reveal the answer, "she left, unable to understand." He finished.

Kiyotaka was surprised for the second time that night. He hadn't realized that Kanone and Ayumu were on such terms as to be called friends, "Friends, huh? You and Kanone? Why don't I believe you?"

"Probably because you weren't friends with him and it scares you that I could accomplish something you couldn't." Ayumu had no idea how right he was.

"Perhaps. I still don't believe that you are friends with any of them, though. You've never had any friends. Why would the Blade Children want to be friends with you? Have you gotten so desperate as to go to such extremes. It's kind of pathetic; I expected better of you."

Ayumu was pissed by now; his brother was _still_ putting him down, "For your information, I'm _living_ with Rio and Ryoko. And I've also..." Ayumu trailed off, now? Was now the right time?

"You've...?" Kiyotaka waited for an answer, _"Wait._ Living_ with them? That's a bit above and beyond friends." _Henever voiced these suspicions though, knowing that Ayumu would more than likely explain in a minute.

Ayumu decided to go for it; no time like the present, right? He hoped so, "I've been with Kanone and Kousuke. Me and Kousuke were actually dating, but...he's gone now."

Kiyotaka's eyes widened,_ "He's _been_ with them? What in the seven layers of hell does that mean?"_ Of course if Ayumu's last statement didn't clarify it enough, his next would.

"I'm also pregnant...it's Kanone's." Ayumu looked away for a second and then back to his brother, realizing that he really didn't _need_ Kiyotaka's approval. The reaction he got was priceless and he wished more than anything that he had a camera with him, talk about a Kodak moment.

Kiyotaka's eyes were bulging out of his head and his mouth was parted. To top it all off, he couldn't form proper sentences, "You're...it's...how...but you're..." Kiyotaka shook his head, returning his face to as normal as it could get at the moment and he cleared his thoughts, "So...you're gay. And you're carrying Kanone's child. But you're with Kousuke...is that it?"

Ayumu nodded, slightly amused; but also hurt at his brother's first statement,_ "Was that really the first thing that came to his mind when I told him that?"_ Ayumu didn't need his brother's acceptance, of course, but it would be nice to have all the support he could get; and maybe Kiyotaka cold even convince Madoka to come back home, though he doubted it. She seemed so angry when she left, telling him that she wanted nothing more to do with the entire family. Ayumu turned his attention back to his brother, "That's pretty much the whole thing. Kanone is now with Eyes, of course, and like I said Kousuke..." Ayumu sighed, "He's dead. He... he killed himself." Ayumu figured Kiyotaka wouldn't pry any deeper and just getting those words out was hard enough.

Ayumu was right, Kiyotaka simply nodded in understanding and the two just stood there in silence until a pair of arms wrapped around Ayumu's waist. He froze until he heard that wonderful voice whisper in his ear, "Don't worry, Ayumu. It's just me."

Ayumu turned to face Kanone and he smiled comfortably, "Hey." He looked past Kanone and saw nothing but shadows, "Is Eyes with you?"

Kanone shook his head, "He has to leave in the morning for a tour and he wanted to get some rest. I decided to come and see if you were checked out of the hospital yet since I stopped by your house and you weren't there."

Ayumu smiled, "I just checked out a little while ago, but guess who I ran into on my way home?"

Kanone looked past Ayumu and saw the older Narumi standing there, a look of shock and a little bit of fear on his face, "Oh, Kiyotaka. Finally come out of hiding have you? Well your little brother here has taken very good care of us in your absence." Kanone's tone was one of deep hatred though, instead of fondness as his words might have suggested.

Kiyotaka gulped and tried to put his trademark smirk on, but fell short. Instead he still looked afraid...and kind of constipated, "Kanone. I didn't expect to see you around here, Ayumu told me about you two. I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not."

Kanone smiled, his smirk completely smug; he knew Kiyotaka was terrified of him, and he loved it, "Oh, I've been around. But don't worry, Kiyotaka, I'm here to stay now. I've got a life here that I don't plan on leaving any time soon." Kanone was slightly disappointed that he hadn't been there to see Kiyotaka's face when Ayumu told him the news; but he could only imagine. He smirked again at this.

"Wonderful." Was all Kiyotaka could get out. It may have sounded sarcastic if not for the fear and disgust dripping from his voice.

Kanone smirked at the control he had over the other man and then turned back to Ayumu, "And you won't believe the surprise I have for you."


	23. Chapter 23

"Huh?" Ayumu looked at Kanone questioningly, "Surprise? What kind?"

Kanone smirked, "Well, the kind that I _don't_ tell you what it is. You know, the kind that surprises you. That _is_ why they call them surprises, Ayumu." Kanone then shifted his glance to Kiyotaka, still loving that the older man couldn't quite get his cool back, "So, Kiyotaka, where have_ you_ been?"

Kiyotaka nearly jumped at the mention of his name, Kanone made him really uneasy. He did, however, keep it under control, and managed a convincing smirk, "I've been around, and what have you been doing? Or...should I say _who_?"

Ayumu shifted uncomfortably, but Kanone just wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer, "Jealous?"

Ayumu could have sworn that his brother could have thrown up on the spot right then and there at the mention of Kanone's suggestion, "Kanone, let's go home before you two start fighting; that's not a fight I'd want to break up." _"It would almost be as bad as Rio and Kousuke." _Ayumu thought, then saddened at the thought of his departed lover. Those two could level an entire city if they got into it; though he wouldn't put it past Kanone and Kiyotaka to do the same. Even though his brother didn't seem like the violent type, neither did Eyes, and yet...But, no, he had known Kiyotaka his whole life, his brother solved things with his words, not his fists. He would probably consider fighting with Kanone barbaric and would have no part of it, claiming that he was above such behavior; when, in reality, he was probably just afraid of Kanone. Who wouldn't be, _"I know he wouldn't hurt me, but I'm still a little afraid of him."_ Ayumu thought, though he didn't know why.

Kanone stirred Ayumu from his thoughts by whispering to him, "Well, let's go, your surprise can't wait forever." Ayumu nodded and Kanone turned to lead them home; surprisingly enough they ended up at Kanone and Eyes' apartment.

Ayumu looked at Kanone, "What are we doing here?"

Kanone smirked, "Well, we're getting your surprise. What else would we be doing here?"

Ayumu shrugged, "I just figured we would be going to my place is all."

Kanone shook his head, "Nope, you're really going to like this, though." Kanone felt bad for leaving Kiyotaka behind; this surprise was also, in part, for him.

Kanone opened the door and there stood two people; a man and a woman that Ayumu barely recognized, and then it hit him.

Ayumu stared at the two people, he recognized them now, he just couldn't believe it, "Mom...Dad?" Ayumu walked up to the two and looked them in the eyes. They were indeed his parents, and he had never met them before, but somehow he just knew that's who these people were. For as long as Ayumu could remember it had been just him and Kiyotaka, his brother never mentioned their parents and Ayumu never asked. Truth be told, he was a little afraid to learn the truth of why his parents weren't around. But they were here now, and Ayumu couldn't be happier to see them. With all the strangeness that had come from dealing with the Blade Children, Ayumu had longed for a sense of normalcy. His parents symbolized that, even though he wasn't sure exactly why. Ayumu closed the distance between them in a few steps and looked from his mother to his father, not sure whether to believe they were real or not.

But as his mother hugged him and started crying about how much she had missed him, Ayumu realized that they were real, and they were here with him. Nothing in this world could take them away, Ayumu would make sure of that. Kanone walked up to Ayumu and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Happy birthday." He whispered into Ayumu's ear.

Ayumu stood back from his mother's embrace and turned to face Kanone, "My...birthday?" Ayumu realized that Kanone was right; it was his birthday and he hadn't even realized it. With everything going on, how could he be expected to remember such a day. If Hiyono were here, he would have been reminded that it was his birthday everyday from a month ago. But with her gone, these dates just seemed not so important; or at least they weren't jumping off the calendar and screaming their presence in his face, like she tended to do. Ayumu and his parents spent hours talking, explaining, and just catching up in general. Ayumu explained everything that had happened with Kiyotaka and the Blade Children, or at least as much as his parents needed to know. He didn't tell them about Kanone trying to kill him and threatening Madoka, but he did tell them about the baby (of which they were very supportive, of course) and that he had been with Kousuke until recently. Ayumu was so busy talking that he missed the smirk Kanone had on his face when he mentioned the redhead's name.

When it reached around 3 in the morning Kanone finally had to get the three out of his apartment so he could go to bed, and spend his last few hours with Eyes before the pianist had to leave. Kanone was extremely upset about this, but knew that Eyes would be back in a week. He had wanted to go with his husband, obviously, but decided it was best to stay with Ayumu incase anything baby-related happened. Much to Kanone's surprise, Eyes agreed whole-heartedly and said that he hoped nothing would happen until he got back; he wanted to be there for Kanone, for support. He wanted to be there for Ayumu as well, but didn't voice this concern, he didn't want to seem too okay with this; Kanone was still his husband after all.

As soon as Ayumu and his parents left the apartment, Kanone walked into his and Eyes' bedroom, hoping that his lover was awake and ready for some action. But, to his disappointment, Eyes was asleep so Kanone settled down next to him, putting his head on the younger man's chest, and falling asleep to the sound of his husband's heartbeat, content that everything had gone as planned and couldn't wait for Ayumu to get home and find the rest of his present. When Ayumu left the apartment, shortly followed by his parents, he froze. He saw a shadow moving towards them and couldn't quite make out what was making the shadow. When Kiyotaka emerged from the alley, Ayumu relaxed, but only a bit. He started to explain who the other two were but his brother cut him off, "You don't have to explain, Ayumu. They're our parents." Kiyotaka had resumed his normal smirk and walked over to the two, "Hello, mother, father." He said in greeting, though he seemed a little bitter about it. Ayumu shrugged it off and asked the three if they had anywhere to stay. When his parents said they had an apartment a little ways from here, they all agreed that Kiyotaka should stay with them and Ayumu should go back to his place. As reluctant as he was to go, Ayumu finally agreed with them and headed off to his apartment that he shared with Rio and Ryoko, deciding that checking in with them would be for the best; and to make sure Rio ate some healthy food. According to her, candy made up half of the food pyramid and musk melons made up the other half; other fruits and various vegetables were to be used sparingly.

When Ayumu got home, the place was pitch black and he fumbled around for the light switch, walking right past a pair of glowing eyes. Practically the same second he flipped on the lights, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his waist; much like Kanone's had earlier. But Ayumu could tell this wasn't Kanone. Besides the fact that the Blade Child had all but kicked the three out of his apartment, this set of arms seemed a lot more...possessive. Just to confirm that his mystery guest wasn't Kanone, the person softly kissed Ayumu's neck and then nuzzled right behind his ear. Ayumu only knew of one person to do that, "K-kousuke?" He turned around to face the redhead. It was indeed his dead lover, the one he swore he would never see again. The one that he had cried so many tears for and had lost so much sleep over. It was, without a doubt, Kousuke. And the first thing Ayumu did? Kiss him, no. Hug him, no. Tell him he loved him and missed him so much and was so happy to see him, no. He slapped him. Right across the face, with tears of anger and betrayal in his eyes. This may have seemed harsh, but Kousuke understood perfectly. He had hurt Ayumu in more ways than one the past few days. First he had punched him, then he had left him; putting all of the guilt of his death on Ayumu, which was stress that the latter did not need right now. Kousuke knew he deserved whatever he had coming and was ready to take it, as long as Ayumu forgave him in the end. Ayumu sighed and looked away, as if reading Kousuke's thoughts and deciding that hurting the one he really did love would do him no good. He looked back to Kousuke with a sad smile on his face and hugged him,"I'm sorry, but you deserved that."

Kousuke smiled and hugged Ayumu back, "I missed you, too."


	24. Chapter 24

Ayumu was still slightly in shock that Kousuke was actually here. A mix of emotions ran through him; surprise, anger, relief, excitement, and many others. But most of all, Ayumu was confused; not so much that Kousuke was back (though that would require some questioning later). No, what confused him most was, "Kousuke?"

Kousuke looked at him, not that his eyes hadn't been glued to his lover's face. But when Ayumu said his name he really focused in on him, "Yeah? What is it?" Kousuke had known that he would be bombarded with questions when he saw Ayumu; most of which had already been asked by Rio and Ryoko when he arrived home earlier.

Ayumu's question, however, was simple and had been overlooked by the girls, and even Kanone and Eyes (they were the first ones to find him; they ran across him on their way home from the club, they hadn't stayed long because Eyes had to leave early that morning and he was their ride). His question, which caught Kousuke off guard was, "Why?"

Kousuke looked confused, "Why? Why, what exactly?"

Ayumu looked down, suddenly saddened, "Why did you do it, Kousuke? Why did you hurt yourself and make us all think you were dead. Why did you try to kill yourself? Why...why did you leave me all alone?"

Kousuke knew that out of all of the questions that Ayumu had just asked him, the last one was the only one he wanted answered. Kousuke sighed and looked away briefly, only to look back into the slightly angered eyes of Ayumu. But his anger wasn't from hatred or rage, only from loneliness. Kousuke felt a sudden pang of guilt; Ayumu was right. Kousuke had been selfish in his actions. Trying to end his life because he thought Ayumu was cheating on him. He had done that and he indeed had left Ayumu alone. His excuse? Classic, "I...didn't mean to. When I did it...it was out of grief. Not because I wanted to hurt you, or leave you. I wanted to stay with you more than anything, Ayumu. I just..." Kousuke sighed and looked away. Could he really tell Ayumu that he tried to kill himself because he thought Ayumu wouldn't miss him, and that hurt more than anything? "No," he thought, "that would probably hurt him that I thought that; because I know now that it's not true." Kanone had explained everything to him; about how Ayumu hadn't cheated on him and why the baby was Kanone's. Kousuke wouldn't even listen to Kanone until he saw how calm Eyes was about the whole thing. He knew then that something was up and decided to finally listen to reason.

Kousuke had been silent for a few minutes and Ayumu was getting annoyed, not having a full explanation yet, "You just what? If you didn't want to leave me then why in the world did you do exactly that? It's not like I wanted you gone, Kousuke. If you remember correctly, you were the only one that was upset; I was only trying to explain to you..."

"I know." Kousuke interrupted, "I was stupid, okay? I made a mistake; but stop acting like you've never made one before. Because I know for a fact you've made plenty." Kousuke was getting upset, which he knew he shouldn't do. Him being upset would more than likely upset Ayumu as well. Besides, the last time he got this upset, he did something he seriously regretted.

Unfortunately, Ayumu was already getting upset, "Well at least none of my mistakes have almost cost someone their life. Especially someone I love!"

This got Kousuke's attention and calmed him down a little, "Love?" He asked. It wasn't the word itself that surprised him, but the tense Ayumu used it in. He said love, not loved, "You...you still love me?"

Ayumu chuckled and smacked him lightly on the head, "Of course I do, idiot." The insult wasn't meant to hurt Kousuke, though; it had become a sort of pet name for Kousuke. When Ayumu used it, anyway. Rio and Ryoko just meant to insult him.

Either way, it was comforting to hear Ayumu call him this and smiled a little, "I'm glad. You do know that I love you, too, right? I didn't try to kill myself because I stopped loving you..." "It's because I'm so in love with you that it hurt to think of you with anyone else." It really wasn't like Kousuke to keep his feelings to himself, but he just didn't want to upset Ayumu any further, and he certainly didn't want any sympathy.

Thankfully, Ayumu didn't question him. He had already figured out why Kousuke tried to do what he did anyway. So he just nodded, "I know. I'm just...really glad you're okay. I was so depressed when I heard the news. I thought you stopped loving me. Then I realized that that made no sense, if you didn't love me, why would you be so upset? I realized it was because I had hurt you so much and then I felt incredibly guilty. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is...I'm sorry I hurt you. Or better yet, I'm sorry I didn't explain the situation better."

Kousuke nodded, glad that everything would work out and that they could still be together, "I'm sorry, too. That I blew everything out of proportion, and that I scared you."

The two had been sitting at the kitchen table on opposite sides. Now Ayumu got up and went around the table to sit on Kousuke's lap. He put his arms around Kousuke's neck and kissed him with a passion that he rarely had in any situation. Kousuke smiled and leaned into the kiss. He wrapped his arms around Ayumu's waist and sighed contently. After a few minutes of making out, Kousuke decided he wanted this "reunion" to go further, and picked Ayumu up, the younger boy wrapping his legs around the redhead's waist and securing his arms around the other's neck. They made it to their bedroom and fell on the bed...landing right on top of Rio. Kousuke and Ayumu jumped up as they felt a body under theirs. Kousuke recognized the girl first, "Rio? What are you doing in our room?'

Rio yawned, completely oblivious to the show she almost got a front row seat to, and sat up, "Oh, Ayumu. Kousuke. I didn't think you two would be in for a while and your bed is much more comfy than mine. And it's a lot bigger, too." With that, Rio smiled and laid back down, "Goodnight."

Kousuke and Ayumu just stared at her until Kousuke went over to her, grabbed her by the back of her pajamas (pink footy pajamas, might I add) and tossed her out of the room, shutting the door and locking it before she could race back in. Kousuke turned, a victorious smile planted on his face, and walked back over to the bed where Ayumu had laid down. He straddled the boy which startled him since he had had his eyes closed, and began kissing him. Ayumu soon relaxed into his lover's embrace and gasped when Kousuke's cold hands found their way under his shirt to his chest, which was, until just now, warm. Cold or not, Ayumu enjoyed the contact that he had missed so much and began to take off Kousuke's jacket. Kousuke helped him and soon they were both naked and groping for even more contact. When they had both had enough with the foreplay, Kousuke nuzzled Ayumu's neck, letting him know he was getting impatient. Then, after Ayumu nodded his approval of progressing further, Kousuke took advantage of his position to do what he had wanted to do for almost a month now.

His hands slid up the brunette's chest, sliding his shirt off and placing light kisses down the toned chest. Ayumu's back arched under the soft touches and his hand made its way through soft, red hair, tugging his boyfriend's sweet mouth closer. In response, Kousuke flicked his tongue over one of the small, pink nipples and began sucking on it slowly. A soft moan urged him on as his hand found its way to the younger one's pants and tugged down the zipper slowly. Nimble fingers traced up toned stomach muscles and Ayumu's last remaining article of clothing was discarded onto the floor. The Blade Child nibbled on his nipple while running a hand up his inner thigh, causing the skinny leg to bend slightly in an attempt to give him more access. A small smirk graced the redhead's lips as he ghosted his fingertips over the boy's erection. Shivers ran down Ayumu's spine as he pressed closer to the gentle, teasing touches.

The two clashed at the mouth once more and Kousuke was shed of his clothes. Now pressing skin to skin, the two boys looked at each other and Ayumu smiled just slightly. He had missed this feeling most of all-- the feeling of belonging to someone and having someone to call his own. He groaned slightly as the dominate boy entered him, and hooked his legs around Kousuke's waist. His head fell back onto the pillows as the redhead began a slow and steady pace, adjusting to the long-awaited warmth of his lover.

The two were both too soon ready for things to progress, and Ayumu brought his boyfriend's head down into one more kiss as the latter began pounding away into him. The feeling of his thought-to-be-dead boyfriend entering him brought a rush of pleasure he had never felt before. Those feelings of belonging only served to bring him more pleasure as he knew this was the only person he wanted to belong with.

Kousuke, on the other hand, was lost in pleasures of a different kind. Ayumu's muscles tensing around his thickening member every time he entered him drove him crazy with anticipation, and he couldn't hold back another moment. The pace was thrown into full drive and the moaning, writhing brunette under him only drove him faster. Unable to comprehend any thought, he lost himself in the feeling of his lover, and came inside him.

Ayumu groaned and, not even needing any stimulation, came with the redhead. Kousuke collapsed onto the bed next to his boyfriend and looked over at him, "You don't know how long I've been waiting for that."

Ayumu chuckled, "Actually, I do." Kousuke laughed as well and they both fell asleep in each other's arms, completely oblivious to the fact that they just did the one thing Ayumu's doctor had advised him against.

The next day, Ayumu woke up with a groan. His stomach felt like it was about to explode. Having never been pregnant before, he figured it was natural, even though it still hurt like hell. He also knew that being a male would make his pregnancy different, and potentially more painful than others. Even knowing all this, Ayumu felt that something had changed, "Maybe I'm getting close. The doctor said it would only be a couple more months." Then he realized that his doctor forbid him from having sex, the exact thing he had down not twelve hours ago. That could be bad. Ayumu didn't know how serious the side effects would be, but he knew that Wilson wouldn't have made the act taboo unless they were pretty serious. Ayumu started to panic until he heard Kousuke in the other room, "Right, Kousuke. I don't want to worry him, he still wants to be a part of this baby's life and this is probably nothing anyway." Besides, Ayumu had more important things to worry about now, like he was meeting his parents, brother, and Kanone in an hour. He also needed to make sure that Rio and Ryoko were up, they were coming, too. His parents had told him before they left last night that they wanted to meet his friends and Kiyotaka agreed it would be fun to see the Blade Children again, though Ayumu cold tell he was being completely sarcastic. He knew his brother couldn't stand them and that he simply feared Kanone. Ayumu yawned once, eyes closed, when he was cut off by a mouth covering his and a tongue quickly slipping inside. He didn't have to open his eyes to know it was Kousuke, and instinctively wrapped his arms around the other's neck.

Kousuke pulled away shortly after and smirked at Ayumu, "So, you're finally up. I thought you were going to sleep all day. We've got to meet everyone in an hour so hurry up and get ready because it'll take at least ten minutes to get Rio up and moving." Ayumu nodded and walked into the bathroom. He turned the shower on and grumbled when nothing but cold water came out. He had no idea what took Kousuke so long in the shower, but that boy could probably spend all day in there, effectively using all of the hot water, of course. Deciding against a shower, Ayumu changed his clothes, brushed his teeth, and joined Kousuke, Rio, and Ryoko downstairs. It turns out that Rio had been up for several hours (and had taken a few showers in that time) to get ready and meet Ayumu's parents. And being the naive little girl that she could be, Rio was completely oblivious to Kiyotaka's dislike of her and couldn't wait to see him again. Kousuke stood up from his seat at the kitchen table when Ayumu entered the room and offered him his seat. Ayumu smirked and pushed Kousuke back down in his seat, taking a seat on his lover's lap. Kousuke smiled and wrapped his arms around Ayumu's waist and rested his head on the brown-haired boy's shoulder, nuzzling his neck every now and then. Ayumu relaxed into the touch until he noticed Rio and Ryoko smirking at them. He straightened up and Kousuke glared at them, "Let's go, we don't want to be late."

The others agreed and Ryoko laughed a little, "Kousuke, you're late anywhere you go."

Said boy glared at her again, "That's not true, just whenever I have to go anywhere to meet you."

Ryoko hit him in the head for this, "Idiot." Was all she said before she ran to catch up with Rio and Ayumu who had gotten ahead of them. Kousuke growled but followed suit catching up to his boyfriend and wrapping his arm around the younger boy's waist. Ayumu smiled and returned the gesture and the four made their way to the meeting place.


	25. Chapter 25

As Kanone walked down the street to the meeting place his mind started to wonder. He didn't really want to go, but he had nothing better to do and Ayumu wanted him to come so he agreed. Besides, if nothing else it would be something to temporarily get his mind off of Eyes. The pianist had left earlier that morning and Kanone hadn't been able to go back to sleep. So he did what he did best; he schemed. Against who? Kiyotaka, of course. He didn't know why, but he had a major grudge against that man. Oh, wait, he knew why...never mind. Kanone smirked at the thought of the prank he was about to pull on the older man. _"It's not so much a prank."_ Kanone tried to convince himself, _"I'm just trying to have a bit of fun. Besides, pranks are usually cruel and this...well, this is far from cruel."_ Kanone personally hated pranks, he thought they were childish and immature. Kanone chuckled, _"Listen to me...I sound like Eyes."_ The truth is, Kanone used to love pranks, but all of that ended when him and Eyes got married. Kanone sighed at the thought of his lover, _"I suppose you have to make sacrifices. But what could I give to have Eyes next to me right now?"_ The answer was nothing. There was nothing in this world that could equal the feeling that Kanone got whenever his husband was near. Even after five years of being married, he still loved the Blade Child as much as the day he met him. Before he knew it, Kanone was at the meeting spot. Everyone was late, of course. Not that Ayumu would keep him waiting, but he did have Kousuke with him. So, of course, Kanone was utterly surprised when his the three other Blade Children showed up with Ayumu before the latter's family showed up.

Rio ran over to Kanone and wrapped her arms around the much taller boy, "Kanone, it's so good to see you!"

Kousuke scoffed and took a seat at the table, pulling Ayumu into his lap, "Rio, you just saw him yesterday."

Rio let go and turned to Kousuke, sticking out her tongue, "I saw you yesterday, too, but you don't see me excited to see you, now do you? I just like Kanone, do you have a problem with that?"

Kousuke shook his head and then grinned, "Nope, I don't have a problem with it, but I think Eyes might. And , Rio, let me tell you something. Now, it's a a secret, so don't tell, but I think Kanone is gay."

Kanone smirked, "Well aren't you the pot calling the kettle black?" Kousuke grinned and wrapped his arms around Ayumu, nuzzling his neck affectionately. Kanone felt a pang of loneliness and turned away, not wanting to see the couple when he was so alone. Fortunately, when he turned he found himself a distraction: Kiyotaka. He was talking with his parents and not noticing that they were almost 10 minutes late. Kanone grinned, "Perfect." Kanone had already told the others his plan, and they agreed whole-heartedly that it would be a good way to get Kiyotaka back for everything he'd put them through. Kanone couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face when the three finally reached the others. Kanone was the first to walk up to them,"Hello again." He said to Ayumu's parents, then to Kiyotaka, "Oh, hello, Kiyotaka, and how have you been?" He asked sarcastically, not wanting to act out of character quite yet. Kiyotaka just ignored him and went to sit down while Ayumu's parents tried to start up a conversation with the Blade Child. Obviously they didn't know it wasn't a good idea to annoy him.

Ayumu saw the look of irritation Kanone was getting on his face and decided not to let his parents test his ex's patience; Ayumu knew from experience that he didn't have a lot of it when it came to some things. Ayumu freed himself from Kousuke's grasp and walked over to his parents and Kanone. When the former saw him they brightened up and started to talk to him instead, leaving the recently freed Kanone to walk over to the others and begin his plan, a smirk on his face the entire way. When Ayumu's parents finally finished their story about how they had met, again, the boy lead them over to the table and reclaimed his seat on Kousuke. He noticed that Kanone had chosen a seat in between his brother and Rio, while his parents took a seat next to Ryoko. (So it went Ayumu and Kousuke, Ryoko, Ayumu's parents', Kiyotaka, Kanone, and then Rio.) Rio had actually been sitting next to Kiyotaka, but moved when Kanone asked her. This in turn disturbed Kiyotaka, but also relieved him that he didn't have to listen to that annoying girl whine anymore.

When Ayumu's parents finally turned their attention to all of his friends, his mother turned to him, "Ayumu, I thought that you said you kew Eyes Rutherford." His mother had been a fan of the pianist for many years and was elated when she heard that Ayumu was friends with him.

Kanone winced at the name, but knew that she would ask that question; in fact he had counted on it. Answering for Ayumu, Kanone put on a pleasant smile, "Eyes isn't here, he had to go on a tour. He'll be back in a week." With that Kanone glanced at Kiyotaka, seeing that the other was looking at him Kanone winked at him, just enough for the older man to see.

Kiyotaka did a double take when he saw this, _"Did he just _wink _at me?"_ Kiyotaka thought, and then nearly gagged himself when he saw Kanone smile at his seductively.

Kanone smirked to himself when he saw Kiyotaka's reaction and showed more self-restraint than he knew he had by not laughing out loud at the expression. Deciding that was enough for now, Kanone turned his attention back to Ayumu's parents who were asking him something, fortunately they had missed the entire thing; how observant, where did Ayumu and Kiyotaka get it from if not their parents? Kanone only caught the last part of their question, but figured they were asking how he knew Eyes. Kanone smiled at them again as nicely as possible while trying to ignore the glares and questioning glances Kiyotaka was giving him, "I'm Eyes' partner." Kanone decided to go with. He didn't kow if Ayumu's mother would be comfortable knowing that her beloved idol was gay; though if she didn't she couldn't have been too big of a fan. He and Eyes had decided to tell everyone that they were together a few years back, once they had gotten used to it themselves.

His mother thought about it for a second and then recognized the name, "Oh, you're _that_ Kanone. Eyes' husband?" She asked, looking to him. Kanone nodded and that excited the woman to no end; apparently the next best thing to meeting Eyes was meeting the guy that had gotten into his pants. After Sonja calmed down, she and Kai talked with the others until it started to get dark. Ayumu had complained of stomach pains anyhow, which alarmed both Kousuke and Kanone... even though Kousuke was pretty sure of why he was complaining. He immediately offered to take Ayumu to the hospital. The pregnant boy agreed and Kanone insisted he come with him. There were no arguments until Sonja and Kai began to worry as well.

Kiyotaka sighed, not wanting to worry his parents, but also wanting to get them home; the streets weren't safe at night from what he remembered. He offered to go with the others to make sure nothing was wrong. That seemed to satisfy the two and they went home. Rio and Ryoko said they were heading home, too, but to call them if anything happened. With that the four finally headed off to the hospital. After several tests and hours of waiting, the doctor finally came to the conclusion that there was indeed something wrong. Kanone nearly killed the man on the spot for being so vague but Ayumu stopped him and turned to his doctor, "So do you know what it is?"

Dr. Wilson looked through his papers and shook his head slightly, "No, I also don't know what caused it. If we knew that then maybe we could have some leads, but as you can guess, this isn't my specialty." Kousuke shifted uncomfortably at hearing this, knowing all too well what the cause of this was.

Ayumu sighed and looked to Kousuke. The Blade Child nodded and knew that they had to tell Wilson what they did. Ayumu looked from his lover to his doctor, "Me and Kousuke we..." he trailed off, all too aware that both the father of his baby and his brother were in the room as well.

Everyone got the implication though and Wilson simply nodded, "I see, well that does help a little." Without any further explanation he disappeared from the room.

Kanone was about to kill Kousuke now for putting his daughter in danger, but kept his cool as he saw Kiyotaka's expression. It was as if he just now realized that when Ayumu said that he and Kousuke were together that meant they were really together. The smirk that Kanone felt coming to his lips chased away the moment of pure hate he felt and settled him some. After a few more hours of waiting, Dr. Wilson came back and looked to the four, "Well, your baby is still healthy, but I'm afraid that I'll have to keep you in the hospital for the next few days."

This got everyone's attention and Kousuke looked incredibly concerned, "Why? You just said that nothing was wrong." Everyone looked to Wilson for an explanation.

"I told you not to continue with the sexual part of your relationship because as with any pregnancy, sex speeds up the arrival time. Having your due date cut down by several months already, I was afraid that your baby would be born prematurely and be put in danger. There are no signs pointing to that conclusion as of yet, so you should consider yourself lucky. However, due to recent...events, your due date could be a couple months from now as originally thought, or it could be tomorrow. There's really no way to tell anymore. But I figure that if it doesn't happen in the next few days then it'll be safe for you to go home until it's time."

Ayumu let this information sink in and then nodded, "Alright, I understand." He looked to the other three men and they all nodded in understanding.

"Oh, and one other thing." Wilson said before he left, "Since I cannot be here to monitor Ayumu all night, I would suggest that one of you stay here with him incase anything happens." After much discussion they all decided that Kousuke would stay. Well, more like Kousuke and Kanone would decide that Kousuke would stay. Kiyotaka couldn't care less and Ayumu didn't want to hurt either's feelings by choosing the other. When it had all been decided, Kanone and Kiyotaka bid farewell and left to go home.

Kanone walked down the street, not able to decide what emotion he was feeling the strongest right now; annoyance at Kousuke and Ayumu's lack of self control (though he really couldn't blame them, if someone told him he couldn't sleep with Eyes for a few months, he'd snap) or loneliness at seeing Ayumu and Kousuke together and wishing more than anything that Eyes was next to him, holding his hand and telling him everything would be okay. Sure, he would talk to him tonight, but like he said before, nothing could amount to Eyes' presence there next to him. Kanone sighed and looked ahead of him, seeing a way to forget the events and feelings of tonight: Kiyotaka was just ahead of him, having to travel the same direction as Kanone to get home. Kanone smirked, "Perfect."


	26. Chapter 26

Kanone smirked as he saw Kiyotaka walking in front of him, hoping that Eyes wouldn't find out about what he was about to do. He sped up a little to fall into step with the other man. Kiyotaka cast a glance to see who was next to him then glared at the unwanted company and turned his attention back to the sidewalk that he was walking on. Kanone smirked and bumped into him slightly, just enough to throw him a little off balance and let him know he was there. Kiyotaka glared again and blushed at Kanone's smirk, "Wait." The older man thought, "Did I just blush? At Kanone?" Kiyotaka shook his head and started to walk faster. However Kanone bumped into him again, a little harder this time, and grinned wider at the now very noticeable blush.

"I'm sorry." he apologized sarcastically, "I don't know what's gotten into me; I can usually walk straight with no problem. I guess I'm just having a hard time keeping my distance with you." Kiyotaka just growled in response and decided he was tired of Kanone's little game. Knocking himself into the Blade Child, however, proved to just ignite some spark inside Kanone, who saw the gesture as Kiyotaka's wanting to play along. Kanone noticed an alley coming up on the right (Kanone was to the left of Kiyotaka) and shoved himself into the older man, causing them both to stumbled into the alley like a couple of drunks. Kanone grinned as Kiyotaka fell back against one of the walls of the narrow alleyway. He sauntered over to the recovering man and pressed his hands against the wall on either side of Kiyotaka's head, bringing his face very close to the other's, "Honestly." he whispered, "I have no idea what's gotten into me. I seem to be very clumsy today." Kanone filled his eyes with lust knowing that he was scaring the crap out of Kiyotaka, and was surprised how well the other man had been able to keep his cool.

Kiyotaka had definitely had enough of this by now and shoved Kanone against the adjacent wall roughly. Kanone just laughed at the treatment, finally getting a rise out of Kiyotaka had been his main goal. Then Kanone was silenced all of a sudden as Kiyotaka's lips pressed against his. Kanone's eyes widened as he tried to shove the other man off of him, but only got shoved into the wall harder by the surprisingly strong Kiyotaka. Kanone felt Kiyotaka's tongue wrench his lips open and explore Kanone's mouth. Kanone was freaking out while Kiyotaka was enjoying himself quite a bit. He knew that if he ever let the man under him go, he'd most likely be dead, but he had wanted this for too long. The fear that Kanone instilled in Kiyotaka excited the older man to some extent; he had always lived dangerously, that's why he had gotten involved with the Blade Children in the first place, the rush that he got facing those life or death situations.

Knowing that he couldn't just pull away from Kanone or he would most likely give the other an opening to beat the shit out of him, Kiyotaka decided to venture further. He knew he was stronger than the younger man and he would use that to his full advantage now. He pulled away from Kanone for a brief second; just long enough to smirk and get a breath before he dove back in for another, at least in his opinion, mind blowing kiss. Loving the feeling of Kanone squirming under him Kiyotaka pressed on and secured Kanone's hands above his head with one of his hands while the other went to trail under Kanone's shirt. He heard the muffled protests and grinned into the kiss that was now tasting coppery from the blood that had come from the bite marks he was leaving all along the other's bottom lip. He reached one of Kanone's nipples and twisted it hard which caused Kanone to cry out in pain and even more protest.

Getting bored with their current situation, Kiyotaka decided to go in for the kill as the hand that had been placed under Kanone's shirt reached down to the latter's pants. Seeing where Kiyotaka was going with this, Kanone struggled more fiercely but still to no avail. Kiyotaka smirked as Kanone's struggling died down and he felt a cold liquid come down to meet his cheek, _"He's crying?"_ Kiyotaka smirked, wondering why he was ever afraid of this man. He pulled away from Kanone and stared at the terrified face he had on, "Given up already?" Kanone nodded in shame and defeat. Kiyotaka laughed, "Oh, but my dear, we haven't had any fun yet. And besides..." He leaned down to whisper into the shorter man's ear, "it won't be any fun if you don't struggle." Kanone just stayed still, not wanting to give Kiyotaka any more pleasure than he was already getting. Kiyotaka just laughed again, "Have it your way." And then chuckled at the irony of that statement. He began kissing Kanone again, not quite as forcefully this time and released his hands so he could get his pants off easier. When the belt and zipper were successfully out of the way the pants went with them. The basically catatonic boy didn't even notice when his shirt was stripped off of him and somehow his boxers were discarded as well, though he didn't remember picking his feet up to have them thrown down in the pile that his clothes had become.

Now completely naked Kanone regained his train of though only to have himself spun around and slammed against the cold alley wall. Kanone let out a grunt as his body collided harshly with the concrete, but made no other move or sound, still trying to keep from going crazy at what was happening. _"How did this go so wrong? How did I misjudge him so badly; I thought he was terrified of me. But now..."_ Kanone stopped thinking and gasped as Kiyotaka started rubbing against him. Though the older man was still fully clothed, Kanone could feel his erection through his pants. He shivered mentally when he heard another zipper that could only belong to Kiyotaka's pants being undone and knew what was coming. Then he felt the sudden sharp pain of Kiyotaka entering him and he snapped back from whatever world he had been in. The events of the past few minutes rushed through his head and he finally realized that he was being raped. He started struggling again, not caring what pleasure he was giving Kiyotaka; he had to get away. However, the more he struggled, the more it hurt. Kanone finally did what he swore ages ago he would never do, he screamed. He screamed as loud as he could, screamed for someone, anyone to help him. Realizing that it was extremely late at night and no one was going to be traveling down that street this late, he gave up. his throat hurt from screaming so loud and his eyes stung from the tears that were now overflowing. All other options worn out he begged. he begged Kiyotaka to stop, only to get laughed at and thrust into harder. He sobbed quietly to himself, praying that this torture would be over soon.

And his prayers were answered as he heard a thud and a grunt. Then the warmth from Kiyotaka's body slid away from him as his attacker slid down to the ground unconscious. Kanone fell down to the ground as well, still sobbing and not wanting to look up for fear that perhaps his savior was just some psycho that liked to go around knocking people out. Kanone had never felt more helpless and he hated it; hated how powerless he was and what he had been reduced to. Hated that he was cowering in fear. He was Kanone Hilbert, unofficial leader of the Blade Children. He was the one who people were terrified of, who ran in fear of him; not the other way around. Never the other way around, even when he was pitted against numerous Hunters and odds and luck were not in his favor, he never cried out for help. And now look at him, he was what he had hated about all of his victims, how they just cowered in fear hoping that someone would save them from their already decided fate. That was him now and he hated it.

Realizing that there was a hand on his shoulder and a very worried voice speaking his name, Kanone looked up. He looked up into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen, he didn't know how those eyes were here but he didn't want to question it. For a second Kanone thought that he had blacked out and was dreaming, but as the hand on his shoulder shook him lightly and those beautiful eyes were filled with even more concern, Kanone realized that this was all real. His savior was here and there was only one name he could put with those eyes; ironically enough that was his savior's name, "Eyes?" he whispered because his throat still hurt. But how, how was Eyes here? Kanone had seen him off that very morning, how could he be here? Kanone decided not to question miracles and just cried as his husband pulled him into his comforting arms. God, how he loved those arms. Clinging to Eyes and silently vowing to never let go again, Kanone rested his head on his lover's shoulder; convinced that everything would be alright. But he was wrong again, but only to a certain extent. Eyes pulled away from him, that was not alright with Kanone as he whimpered at the loss of contact.

"Kanone? Can you stand?" Kanone nodded slowly as Eyes helped him to his feet; it hurt a little, but Kanone just shook off the pain and shivered as a gust of wind found its way to his still naked body. Eyes noticed this and took off his trench coat and wrapped it around Kanone. Then the silver haired man put his arm around the still dazed brown haired one and led him to their apartment, which was only another block away. As soon as Eyes got Kanone into bed the younger man fell asleep and the phone rang. Eyes picked it up, "Hello?" he said, a bit annoyed.

"Eyes? What are you doing here? I thought you were leaving today."

Eyes sighed and explained that he had missed his plane due to a distraction. He had only gotten back now because he was told that there was another plane leaving in a few hours. That one, however, crashed shortly before it reached the airport; the pilot was suicidal from his divorce. Fortunately there was no one else on the plane when it nose dived into the cliff. So Eyes decided to head back to his apartment since the next flight didn't leave until the following afternoon. Eyes sighed at the response he got, which consisted of 'oh'. Aggravated and tired Eyes tried to end the conversation as quickly as possible, "Kousuke, what is it exactly that you were calling for?"

"Huh? Oh, right. Get Kanone down here quick. Ayumu's having his baby."


	27. Chapter 27

Kanone woke up to a warm sensation on his neck. He panicked until he realized that he was in his bed, and that the sensation was Eyes' breath hitting the back of his neck. his lover was behind him with his arms wrapped around the older one, holding him protectively. Eyes had tried waking him up last night after Kousuke called, but Kanone was out. Kanone felt the body beside him move and he turned to face sleepy blue eyes. He smiled, "Good morning."

Eyes just mumbled the phrase back until he registered that Kanone was awake. His eyes snapped open and he tightened his hold on Kanone, "Are you okay?"

Kanone just nodded, "I'm fine. I'd rather not talk about it right now though, okay?"

Eyes began to protest before he remembered Kousuke calling again. At this thought he let go of Kanone and sat up which in turn caused his husband to look up at him questioningly, "Kousuke called last night, Ayumu had his baby."

Kanone was sitting up as well now, a little painfully, looking at Eyes, "Why didn't you wake me up? You mean I missed it..." He trailed off and looked down, sad that he hadn't been there for Ayumu, but relieved that at least Kousuke was there with him. He looked back to Eyes, "Why didn't you wake me up, you know how important this was to me."

Eyes narrowed his gaze slightly at Kanone, annoyed by how childish the supposedly maturer male could be, "I tried, but you were asleep. Besides, you needed the rest." Then something else occurred to him, "I never called Kousuke back to tell him we weren't coming."

Kanone shook his head and chuckled a bit, this had to be the most dysfunctional group of people he had ever seen. And he was right in the middle. Sighing and picking up the phone, he dialed Kousuke's number but got no answer. Slightly concerned, he tried Ayumu's number and got the same response. He looked to Eyes, "Neither of them are answering their phones."

Eyes got up and headed towards the bathroom, "Well, let's get ready and we'll head down there." Kanone nodded and 20 minutes later they were out of the shower and dressed. Checking his watch, Eyes was surprised they had taken so little time in the shower and then realized that they hadn't participated in their usual "activities" due to Kanone still being a little sore. Eyes gritted his teeth at the thought of the older Narumi, but calmed down when Kanone came up behind him and hugged him, whispering 'I love you' in his ear and kissing his neck. Eyes smiled at the comforting gesture and hoped that Kanone would be okay and hopefully talk to him about last night. _"Later."_ He reminded himself, _"I'll ask him about it later, there are more important things to concentrate on right now."_

As if on cue Kanone grabbed his coat and turned to Eyes, "Ready?" Eyes nodded and they left heading as quickly as possible to the hospital.

When they arrived at their destination, the couple headed directly to Ayumu's room. Well, right after Kanone told another one of Eyes' loyal fangirls to 'stop fantasizing about his husband', breaking the poor girl's heart to learn that her current eye candy was gay. Kanone had always enjoyed doing this and smiled as the girl walked away crying and just looked innocently at Eyes' disapproving glare, "What? I can't help it if they don't know that the center of their universe doesn't exactly swing their way. They should pay more attention to what you say instead of your body, which is the only reason they like you." Eyes just sighed and grabbed Kanone's hand and led him to Ayumu's room. The slightly better mood that telling off the fangirl had put him in disappeared as Kanone walked into Ayumu's hospital room. Kousuke was sitting next to Ayumu's bed with his boyfriend's hand in his own. The latter was lying in his bed, seemingly unconscious and as Kanone walked up to Kousuke he could see the redhead had been trying to hold back tears, but had failed miserably.

Kousuke looked up as Kanone put a hand on his shoulder, his golden eyes glued to Ayumu. Kousuke stood up and faced Kanone, "Where the hell have you been?" He asked, grabbing Kanone's shirt by the collar but quickly letting go as Kanone winced from the pain, "Kanone...are you alright?" He asked, mildly concerned. He knew it would take a lot to keep Kanone from being here and had already gone through some horrid possibilities, most of which were dismissed as soon as the Blade Child stepped into the room. Now seeing that Kanone was not fatally wounded, Kousuke got angered again, "Why didn't you come last night?"

Kanone hesitated, "I...can we discuss this later? What's wrong with Ayumu? Where is my daughter?" Kousuke was the one to hesitate now, worrying Kanone even more, "Kousuke?" He pressed.

Kousuke sighed, "Damn." He looked up to Kanone's worried face, "I don't exactly where she is, Wilson took her for some tests right after she was born. There wasn't anything wrong with her I don't think, just standard tests for a birth like this."

Kanone sighed, a little relieved that his daughter was alright, as far as he knew. There was still an issue to be covered though, "And Ayumu?"

Kousuke looked down at his boyfriend and blinked away several more tears, "He fell unconcious shortly after he gave birth. He hasn't woken up or made any movement at all since then. There were a bunch of doctors in here but they made me leave and they haven't told me anything yet."

Kanone went pale at this statement, why hadn't they told Kousuke that Ayumu was alright? Kanone had heard of plenty of mothers dying during childbirth or shortly after. Kanone walked up to Ayumu and placed a kiss on his forehead, nobody in the room seeming to object to the display of affection. Kanone sniffed, promising himself he wouldn't cry. His voice, however, came out barely a whisper, "I should have been here."

Eyes ground his teeth together again, hating Kiyotaka for a whole new set of reasons now. His thoughts of torturing the older man were interrupted by a presence that quietly entered the room. Eyes turned to see that it was Ayumu's doctor, carrying an incredibly tiny baby. Eyes was amazed at the size of it, he had never really seen a newborn baby up close before, let alone held one. But he quickly adjusted as the doctor placed the newborn in his arms and whispered a couple of words to Eyes. The silver haired man nodded and looked back to his husband and Kousuke who were so occupied with Ayumu that they hadn't heard the doctor come in and leave. Eyes walked up to Kanone's side which caused the worried face to turn to him. His sad golden eyes lit up and his breath caught in his throat at the sight before him. His husband, his Eyes, holding his baby. Kanone fought back tears and stood taking the baby that was offered to him. Kanone looked her over and smiled, "She's beautiful." he whispered, grabbing Kousuke's attention. As the three men stood around the newborn only one thought ran through their head, "What are we going ot name her?" Kanone asked everyone in the room, knowing that all four men would have an input into the child's name.

The name offered was accepted immediately by all, "Hiyono." The three turned to look at Ayumu who had just woken up and caught Kanone's last question. Kanone smiled as he walked over to the now-conscious boy and handed over the baby. Ayumu smiled at Kanone then the other two men who all returned the smile. Ayumu looked down at the baby and then back up to Kanone, "You like it?"

Kanone, for a second, thought that Ayumu was talking about the baby, then realized he was referring to the name. Kanone, in a moment of pure love for Ayumu, bent down and softly kissed the boy on the lips, "It's perfect."

Ayumu looked to the other two who seemed completely unfazed by the affection that one's husband was giving the other's boyfriend. They both nodded their approval and Ayumu smiled down at little Hiyono. He knew then that everything would be alright, but then something occured to him. He had only been conscious for a little while after Hiyono was born, but he did notice someone was missing. He turned to Kanone, "Where were you last night? Why weren't you here?" He was a bit hurt that Kanone hadn't shown up when Kousuke called him, but knew that Hiyono's other father would have a perfectly good reason for missing her birth.

Kanone sighed and looked up when Eyes placed a hand on his shoulder. Kanone leaned back into the touch and then looked to the waiting faces of the other two men. He looked back to Eyes who nodded and Kanone turned to tell the others why exactly he hadn't been here to witness his daughter's birth.


	28. Chapter 28

Kanone had been silent for way too long and even Eyes looked a little depressed, well more depressed than usual. Tired of waiting Ayumu pressed on, "Kanone? Why weren't you here?" He asked, wondering what could possibly have kept Kanone away. _"Whatever it is, it must be pretty serious. What's worrying me even more is how evasive Kanone is being about the whole thing."_

Kanone sighed and nodded when Eyes put his arm around Kanone, letting him know he had to talk, "Ayumu, this is a bit hard for me to tell you..." Kanone trailed off, wondering how to approach this. How do you just tell a guy that his brother raped you? Kanone shook off his nervousness and knew that he hadn't done anything wrong, he just hoped that everyone else saw it that way, "Ayumu remember how I was playing that trick on your brother? Pretending to flirt with him?" Kanone asked, forgetting that he had yet to tell Eyes the whole story.

Eyes, however, didn't forget this fact and now looked to Kanone, "You what?" Eyes suddenly rethought something that he had wondered last night, _"How childish can he be? Playing tricks on people. No matter how much Kiyotaka deserves it..."_ Eyes then realized that no matter how bad the prank was, it wasn't worth the treatment he gave Kanone.

Kanone turned to Eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you..." Eyes cut him off with a kiss to his temple and squeezed his shoulders, letting him know that he didn't need to explain. Kanone nodded and turned back to Ayumu who nodded, remembering the prank. He also remembered that he completely supported it and anything that had happened to Kanone as a result was partly his fault. Kanone looked down, once again trying to find the right words, "Well, it was taken a little too far last night. It was a lack of judgment on my part. I always thought that Kiyotaka was scared of me; I thought that I had everything under control."

Ayumu looked concerned now, he knew that bad things happened when his brother got out of control, he could be quite vicious when he wanted to, "What exactly happened, Kanone? What did Kiyotaka do?"

Kanone figured by this point it was best just to get it out, delaying the news wasn't going to ease the shock any, "He...he raped me. I was messing around with him and before I knew what was happening he had me up against a wall and..." Kanone shivered at the memory which caused Eyes to hold onto him even tighter, trying to somehow protect Kanone from what had already happened.

Kanone shut his eyes as everyone in the room except the man next to him gasped at the news. He tried desperately to keep the tears from rolling down his cheeks, but it was to no avail when he heard Kousuke's next words, "That bastard...I'll kill him." It surprised Kanone how protective the younger man had become of him, and he was also deeply touched that his friends cared this much for him.

Eyes hugged him and kissed his forehead when he saw the tears, "It'll be alright, Kanone." he whispered into the slightly taller man's ear, "He won't hurt you anymore, we'll all make sure of that."

Kanone sniffed and nodded, looking up at all of his friends, "Thank you all. I'm sorry for ruining your good mood, though, Ayumu. I would prefer to put all of this behind me and focus on more important issues." He gestured to Hiyono and Ayumu nodded, taking the hint to shut up.

Kousuke, however, always missed these hints and walked up to Kanone who had rejoined Ayumu and his daughter, "What? How can you just put this behind you? You have to do something, what if he tries it again. Or something worse?" Kousuke couldn't understand why Kanone and especially Ayumu were acting so calm about all of this. Kousuke turned his attention to the latter now, "And what are you going to do, just never see your brother again? He'll most likely be with your parents whenever you see them. And Kanone will be around you a lot more now because of Hiyono. Those two are bound to run into each other."

Ayumu nodded, "That's true, Kousuke, but calm down. Kiyotaka wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything with my parents around. And like you said, Kanone will be with me and most likely you and Eyes as well most of the time, he couldn't do anything with all of us around. And you're forgetting that Kanone isn't completely defenseless, he can take care of himself. I'm sure Kiyotaka just caught him off guard." Ayumu looked to Kanone now for confirmation that he was right, which Kanone gave in the form of a nod. Ayumu smiled and then turned back to Kousuke, "See? He'll be fine. We all will." After Kousuke calmed down a bit and an uncomfortable silence fell over the six of them, Ayumu spoke up again, "So, when are we getting out of here? Wilson said I was free to go whenever. I have to come back later this week for some tests, but I don't have to stay here. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm getting sick of this place." The other five nodded, all too tired of seeing the hospital's walls and doctors keeping them waiting for hours on end to tell them that their loved ones would be 'just fine' when they couldn't be further from the truth.

Ayumu handed Hiyono off to Kanone who took the girl in his hands and immediately put a smile on his face. Ayumu got out of bed and checked to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. He had somehow been able to escape the horrible hospital clothes that branded all of its patients as sick enough to stay for the night. Just before he could ask everyone if they were ready, the door slid open and a low chuckle filled the room. Kanone froze at the sound as did Ayumu, both of them recogonizing that evil sound. They turned to see none other than Kiyotaka standing in the door way, "Well, Ayumu, it's good to see that you're well after all that has happened. And, Kanone, I didn't expect to see you up so soon." He chuckled again and walked towards Kanone and Hiyono, daring to actually reach out a hand to touch the baby.

Kousuke and Eyes both jumped in front of Kanone and Kousuke growled deep in his throat, "Touch either one of them and die." His message was short, but simple. And Kiyotaka got it all too clearly.

He smiled at Kousuke, an evil smile that made the redhead's blood boil, "Well, aren't we protective of something that's not even ours?"

Kousuke snapped then, "You bastard, you're lucky you're in a hospital." A lame threat coming from most, but not when it came out of Kousuke's mouth. He jumped on Kiyotaka and the two fell to the ground. Kousuke punched the older man square in the nose, sending a stream of blood down his face. Kiyotaka pushed the Blade Child off of him and turned to leave before the rest of his dignity was beat out of him. His plan would have worked if a hand hadn't landed on his shoulder with crushing force. The pain forced Kiyotaka back down to his knees as he looked up to see a very, very angry set of piercing blue eyes. Suddenly regretting ever coming here, Kiyotaka let out an anguished cry that alerted some people out in the hallway, but everyone ignored it, they were in a hospital after all, and sometimes painful things happened here. Kiyotaka was learning this lesson all too well as Kousuke growled again and kicked Kiyotaka...well, you can only guess where. This made the man double over in pain and as his head was going down, Kousuke's fist was coming up, the impact sent Kiyotaka down to the floor unconcious.

Ayumu winced slightly at the treatment his older brother was receiving, but couldn't complain; the bastard had hurt one of the people most important to him and who knows what he would have done if Eyes hadn't been there to stop him?

He looked to Kanone who had sat down on the bed and was looking very intently at Hiyono, not wanting to witness the brutal beating that Eyes and Kousuke (mostly Kousuke) were giving the older man. Kanone was brought out of his thoughts by Ayumu sitting down next to him, "Are you alright?" Kanone just nodded and laid his head on Ayumu's shoulder. The latter wrapped his arm around the former's shoulders and softly kissed the top of his head, "It's okay." He whispered, "Kiyotaka can't be stupid enough to bug you after this." Kanone nodded and closed his eyes, suddenly very tired. When he opened his eyes again he was staring at his Eyes, who was looking at him concerned. Kanone just smiled and handed Hiyono to Ayumu, then walked over to Eyes and hugged him, sighing contently as the gesture was returned.

Kousuke was the one to break up the picture perfect moment, "We should probably get going. If Wilson or another doctor comes in here and sees this, we'll have some serious explaining to do." The others nodded and walked out quickly, not looking back and all of them just wanting to go home and relax.


	29. Chapter 29

Everyone decided to regroup at Eyes and Kanone's place; the girls hadn't cleaned their place for a while and Kousuke had been at the hospital with Ayumu. Besides, the married men's place was just nicer in general. Definitely cleaner and Kanone refused to have Hiyono in a dirty environment. Ayumu smiled at his concern and handed said baby off to him while he went to the bathroom. Kanone took Hiyono and thought again of how messed up her life already was; she was automatically involved with the Blade Children and no matter how many treaties or agreements they signed with as many Hunters as they wanted to, their fate really couldn't be avoided. Kanone knew this and realized that in a few years they would have to face their destiny. But for now Kanone wanted to just enjoy life to the best of his abilities. When Eyes placed a hand on his shoulder to snap him back to reality, Kanone realized that when he told his husband of their true fate, he would most likely be angry with him for keeping it a secret. Kanone honestly hoped that this wouldn't happen, but it was inevitable, maybe he should just tell Eyes...

"Kanone?" Eyes repeated, "Are you alright?"

Kanone realized that every eye in the room was on him and he smiled as he turned to Eyes, "Of course, I'm just thinking."

"About what?" Eyes asked, not wanting Kanone to avoid him.

Kanone thought for a brief second, "About Hiyono." he wasn't lying completely, he had originally been thinking about his daughter, "And how we're going to baby-proof the apartment." Now he was lying. Baby-proofing the apartment was the farthest thing from his mind, but when Ayumu walked back into the room Kanone thought that maybe he could help them; that he really could save the Blade Children. As much confidence as Kanone had in the younger Narumi, it would still be a long shot.

"Your going to baby-proof the apartment?" Kousuke asked, putting his arm aorund Ayumu's waist as his boyfriend went to stand by him. Kousuke thought about it and then turned to Ayumu, "So I guess we're going to have to do the same thing to our place?"

Ayumu nodded but Ryoko was the one who spoke, hitting Kousuke as she did, "Of course we are, stupid."

"Honestly Kousuke, you can be such an idiot sometimes." Rio added.

Kousuke sighed at not realizing this simple fact, but Ayumu just hugged him and looked at the girls, "He may be an idiot but he's my idiot, so back off, alright?"

Rio smiled brightly while Ryoko just shrugged and Kousuke smiled at Ayumu, "Even though I think you just insulted me, thanks." He gave Ayumu a quick kiss before turning his attention to the others, "So, what do we do now?"

Kanone shrugged and looked to Eyes, "I really don't know, any suggestions?"

Eyes realized they were talking about living arangements and when the two couples would get Hiyono, "Nope." He said. Then, once he thought it through he came up with something, "I suppose it would be easier on all of us if we lived together. That way we wouldn't have to worry about buying two of everything for both places. Besides Rio and Ryoko don't need all of Hiyono's stuff laying around."

Kousuke nodded, "Yeah, Rio'd trip over baby toys every other step."

Ayumu smirked and agreed, "Absolutely."

"Hey!" Rio shouted, "It's not my fault I'm clumsy; and watch it or you'll be getting an explosive gift at your baby shower."

Ryoko interjected now, "Think about it, Rio, we could have our place all to ourselves. Kousuke and Ayumu would be staying here. We could visit Hiyono whenever we wanted to and we wouldn't have to worry about a bunch of baby stuff cluttering up the apartment."

Eyes scoffed, "You all make it sound like I've rented you a room at some run down motel." he said. Obviously Eyes paid for the rent on both his and Kanone's place and the others' place. They were both penthouses, Rio and Ryoko's was even bigger than his, granted they had Ayumu and Kousuke living with them, but they could still act a little more grateful.

Rio put on her sweet face and smiled at Eyes, "I don't think that at all, Eyes. Our place is wonderful, and it will be even better without a bunch of boys there!"

Ayumu glared at her, "A bunch? There's only two of us. And you two are just as lazy! I bet the place is a wreck since Kousuke and I haven't been home."

Ryoko nodded, "That's true, but it's you and the amazing Kousuke."

Kousuke glared at the name, just knowing that there was a story that the two girls had probably made up behind it. Rio giggled and confirmed his suspicions, "Yep, he has the power to make the mess of ten regular men!"

"You little brats, don't you have anything better to do than sit around and make up stories about me?"

Rio giggled, "Nope!"

Kanone sighed, "Maybe it would be best to split them up for a while."

Ayumu nodded, "Did you hear that Kousuke?"

Kousuke turned to Ayumu and nodded, "Yeah, I heard you." He glared once more at Rio and Ryoko before joining Ayumu who had gone over to take Hiyono back from Kanone and play with her (which pretty much consisted of having her grab one of his fingers with her hand and sticking it in her mouth, coating it with drool). As the day progressed and the six of them talked, Rio and Ryoko finally decided to go home. Ayumu and Kousuke said that they were leaving to go pack so they could move in as soon as possible. Since they would be busy for the rest of the day, Ayumu suggested they leave Hiyono with Kanone and Eyes. The two gladly accepted and Kanone asked if they needed any help packing.

Ayumu just shook his head, "No, I would prefer if you stayed here with Hiyono. Not that I don't trust you, Eyes, but I'm not sure how good you are with kids."

Eyes took no offense and nodded in response while Kanone smiled and kissed Ayumu's cheek, "Alright then, I'll see you two tomorrow?"

Kousuke nodded, "Yeah, we don't have that much stuff, it shouldn't take too long to pack."

Eyes was the last to speak before Ayumu and Kousuke left, "I'll send for a moving van in the morning so make sure you're ready by then."

Kousuke grinned, "Thanks, Rutherford." They all said bye and Kousuke and Ayumu made it home before too long and started packing. Rio came into their room eventually to see who was making so much noise and decided that she would help them pack if it would make them be quieter quicker.

As Ayumu and Kousuke laid own in their now unsheeted bed, they curled up under a blanket they had left out and shared a pillow; the less hassle of last minute packing in the morning the better. Eyes and Kanone's place, of course had a guest room that would become Ayumu and Kousuke's room. That only left one problem, "Hey, Kousuke?" Ayumu asked, snuggling up closer to his boyfriend.

"Yeah?" Kousuke mumbled, trying to get some sleep and wondering why Ayumu couldn't just wait until morning.

"Where are we going to put Hiyono?" Ayumu asked, slightly concerned, "I think Kanone's place only has one extra room, so where will Hiyono stay? She can't be out in the living room because she'll distract Eyes if he has to practice on his piano. And there are no other rooms."

"She'll just stay in our room, then." Kousuke replied, confident that that would satisfy Ayumu.

No luck, "You do realize that we can't do anything with her in the room, right?"

Kousuke knew exactly what Ayumu meant by 'anything' and he had realized that but hoped that, at least for tonight, Ayumu hadn't, "Well if we're in the mood then we can put her in Eyes and Kanone's room."

"And when they want some privacy we'll take her?" Ayumu asked, already sensing a flaw in this plan. Kousuke nodded and Ayumu sighed, "And if we all want some...privacy?"

Kousuke was silent for a second, thinking this over, "We'll flip a coin."

Ayumu chuckled at this and kissed Kousuke, "Alright then, goodnight."

Kousuke smiled and kissed the top of Ayumu's head, loving the smell of his hair; they both used the same shampoo and conditioner, but Ayumu just made it smell better somehow, "Goodnight."


	30. Chapter 30

Moving day. Kousuke woke up to his alarm clock and yawned, throwing it across the room. Ayumu kicked him, "Ow, what was that for?"

Ayumu sat up and glared at him, "That was my alarm clock."

Kousuke glanced at the broken machine then at his own, resting peacefully on his night stand. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head,"Whoops, well, you can have mine."

Ayumu just shook his head and stood up, "Yeah, like you even use it. Look at it, the thing is covered in dust!"

Kousuke stood up as well and gathered the broken remains of Ayumu's alarm clock, "I wouldn't say covered. More like lightly sprinkled."

Ayumu snorted and followed Kousuke out into the kitchen, "When did the movers say they were coming?"

A knock on their door answered that question, "Apparently now." Kousuke replied as he went to reach for the door knob.

Ryoko, however, jumped out of what appeared to be thin air and yanked the door open, greeting the mover with a smile, "Hello. You're here for the guys' stuff right? It's right his way." She dragged the startled man into the apartment and pointed to a pile of various boxes, "That's it." She said, "Need any help?" The man just shook his head and Ryoko turned to face a very annoyed Kousuke.

"Awfully anxious to get rid of us aren't you?"

"Not necessarily both of you..." Ryoko began.

"Just you, Kousuke." Rio finished, coming out of her bedroom.

"What?" Kousuke asked, irritated, "Why only me?"

"Because you're a pig?" Ayumu offered and Rio and Ryoko agreed with him.

Kousuke glared at the three and then went off in search of a hot shower, mumbling something about ungrateful boyfriends. Ryoko just laughed, "Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed."

Ayumu nodded, "You don't know the half of it." He pointed to the broken alarm clock which Kousuke had set down on the kitchen counter. Ryoko and Rio burst out laughing at this and Ayumu just shook his head, chuckling, and went to join his boyfriend in the shower. When he reached the bathroom, he found the door locked. He found this odd, seeing as how Kousuke never locked a door unless he was angry at someone, "Did I really upset him?" Ayumu wondered briefly then shook his head, deciding to skip a shower all together and went in search, instead, of some clean clothes...which had all been packed and were now being loaded into the moving van. Ayumu sighed and rejoined the girls in the kitchen a second later, figuring he should have breakfast ready when Kousuke got out of the shower; his boyfriend always got grumpy when he was hungry. Ayumu started cooking, knowing that he had at least a half an hour before he needed to be finished...he still had no idea what took the redhead so long in the shower. Obviously, he knew what took him so long when Ayumu was in there with him. But when he was alone..._"Oh."_ Ayumu thought. He shook his head of these thoughts and concentrated on the food.

When Kousuke got out of the shower, he walked out into the kitchen (also dressed in the same clothes) and smelled breakfast cooking. He saw Ayumu standing over the stove and smiled, he really did love the brown haired boy. Kousuke snuck up behind him and wrapped his arms around his lover, "Hey, that smells really good." He whispered into Ayumu's ear before sucking on his neck which earned him a moan from the other boy.

Ayumu turned the stove off and turned to face Kousuke, kissing him and wrapping his arms around the Blade Child's neck, "Feeling better?" He asked.

Kousuke nodded and kissed him back, "Sorry if I was a little edgy earlier, I didn't sleep so great."

Ayumu looked slightly concerned but then just smiled, "Well, today's a new day and right now you have breakfast to eat."

Kousuke just grinned and stepped back as Ayumu placed the food on the table, attracting the two girls to said furniture immediately, "Do you know how much I love you?" Kousuke asked, hugging Ayumu once more before he sat down to eat.

Hearing this, Rio spoke up, "Well I hope it's more than you love his alarm clock."

Ryoko nodded seriously and added, "If not then we may have a problem." The two girls cracked up at this and Kousuke glared at them while Ayumu quietly ate his breakfast, trying not to grin at the joke and upset his boyfriend again.

After breakfast, the two made their way to their new home...just in time to see Eyes leave, "What's going on?" Ayumu asked, seeing Kanone's worried face.

"Eyes has to leave." Kanone explained, sadly, "He took some time off from the tour he was supposed to go on, but he can't hold them off any longer."

"I'll be back in two weeks." Eyes reassured his husband, hating to see him like this.

"I just worry about you, you know that." Kanone replied, "What if something goes wrong, how will I know?"

"You'll be contacted by my producer, I assure you. Besides, nothing will go wrong."

This, however, didn't satisfy Kanone. And seeing Kanone upset, upset Ayumu. And, of course, this upset Kousuke. So in order to alleviate the worry that Eyes' absence was creating, Kousuke spoke up, "I'll go with him."

This caught everyone's attention, "What?" They all asked in unison, Kanone and Ayumu out of surprise, Eyes out of irritation.

Kousuke nodded, "Yeah, it'll only be for two weeks, and Kanone, wouldn't you feel better knowing that someone close to Eyes was there. No matter what happens, I can help out."

Kanone considered this but Eyes didn't, "If anyone should come with me, it should be Kanone." he pointed out.

"Maybe he's right." Kanone interjected, "I'm sorry, Eyes, I really would love to come, but if something happens with Hiyono, I want to be here."

Eyes nodded in understanding, "I don't see why anyone has to come with me. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." Kanone said, hugging Eyes briefly, "But I would feel much better if Kousuke were there with you." Eyes sighed but finally agreed, "Thank you." Kanone said and kissed him once more before joining Ayumu on the sidewalk.

Kousuke looked to his boyfriend once more, "You're okay with this, right?"

Ayumu nodded, "Yeah, I'll miss you though."

Kousuke kissed him, "I'll miss you, too. But you'll have Hiyono to occupy you while I'm gone. And it's only for two weeks, don't worry." Ayumu nodded and waved as the two drove off to the airport.

Just then the moving van made it's way to Ayumu's new home and after several hours of hard labor, the boy was all moved in. He and Kanone had to put away both his and Kousuke's things, which took a lot longer than expected. When they were all finished, Ayumu and Kanone fell down onto Ayumu's newly made bed, exhausted, "Well," Kanone panted, "That was unpleasant."

Ayumu chuckled and then nodded, "Yeah, who knew Kousuke had so much crap."

Kanone laughed at this and then curled up on the bed, "Goodnight."

Ayumu glanced at the clock on the wall, "Night? It's only one in the afternoon." Though he soon joined Kanone in falling asleep on their bed, realizing that resistance to sleep was, indeed, futile.


	31. Chapter 31

_Kiyotaka?" Ayumu asked, approaching his brother, "Why are you here?"_

_Kiyotaka chuckled, "Why do you think I'm here, Ayumu? I'm here to show you which path you need to choose."_

_"Which path I need to choose? What are you talking about? Kiyotaka, I don't need your help!" Ayumu shouted, then he noticed something in his brother's arms, "What is that..." Ayumu gasped as he realized what Kiyotaka was holding._

_"Yes, little Hiyono...what is her last name? Narumi or Hilbert?"_

_Ayumu shook his head, "What does it matter, give me my daughter!"_

_Kiyotaka chuckled again, "The Blade Children have a cursed fate, Ayumu. You haven't changed that yet. Leave before they kill you. The Blade Children will only bring you pain." With that Kiyotaka took out a knife, the one Kousuke always carries with him, and stabbed Hiyono in the chest. He dropped the lifeless baby to the ground, "Let this be a warning." Were the last words he said before Kiyotaka disappeared into the shadows. Ayumu only stared, horrified at what had happened. Finally he snapped back to reality and ran over to Hiyono, checking for a pulse on the tiny neck, he found none._

Ayumu sat straight up in his bed, panting, sweat dripping down his forehead, _"Just a dream."_ He thought to himself, _"It was just a dream."_ Nonetheless, he got out of bed and walked into Kanone's room where Hiyono was and silently walked over to her crib. She was sound asleep and despite having always heard that you should never wake a sleeping baby, Ayumu picked her up. She was silent for a minute before she started crying, which relieved Ayumu, at least when she was crying she was still alive.

This, however, alerted Kanone who was a very light sleeper and he was at Ayumu's side in a flash, "Ayumu? What is it? What happened?" Kanone asked worriedly, looking from Hiyono to Ayumu and seeing nothing wrong.

Ayumu was on the verge of crying, though, _"Why couldn't I save her?"_ He wondered, _"Am I that bad of a father?"_ Ayumu let the tears flow and Kanone immediately took Hiyono from his arms and placed her back in her crib, then turned to hug Ayumu.

"It's okay, Ayumu. What happened?" Kanone whispered.

Ayumu just shook his head and tried to push Kanone away, but the Blade Child held Ayumu to his chest, whispering into his ear. Ayumu sniffed once more and then answered, "I had a nightmare." He said, realizing how childish that sounded.

Kanone didn't think anything of it and just hugged Ayumu tighter, "About what? Hiyono?" He asked, leading the teary-eyes boy to his bed.

Ayumu nodded, "Kiyotaka was there, too." Ayumu told him.

Kanone flinched at the name, but shook it off, Ayumu needed to be comforted right now, "What happened?" Ayumu hesitated, but Kanone prodded, "Ayumu?"

Said boy nodded his head; he didn't want to say the words out loud, but knew that Kanone deserved an explanation, "He...he told me that I needed to stay away from the Blade Children, that your fate was still cursed and that I couldn't do anything about it." Ayumu recalled, "And then he...he killed Hiyono, telling me that the Blade Children would only cause me pain." Ayumu broke down after saying this and Kanone held him even tighter, gritting his teeth.

_"But how?"_ He wondered,_ "How could Ayumu know that we're still cursed? How could he know of our true fate? I haven't told any of them, not even Eyes."_ Kanone shook his head, wondering why Ayumu had dreamed of Kiyotaka telling him this.

"Kanone?" Ayumu asked timidly, looking up at his former lover. Kanone looked down questioningly and Ayumu continued, "Am I that bad of a father that I couldn't even save my own daughter?"

Kanone shook his head and quickly kissed Ayumu, without thinking, to silence him, "Don't ever think things like that, Ayumu. You're already a wonderful father. Everyone has these fears, I've had them, but I know that whatever happens, we'll both be here for her and that nothing in this world could stop either one of us from protecting her." Kanone was lying, to himself and Ayumu, a little bit, once again reminding himself that no one could save her or the other Blade Children from their fate, but Kanone would try his best.

Ayumu nodded but the tears were still coming, though at a slowed pace. Kanone saw this and kissed Ayumu again, a little more passionately than the first time; still trying to convince the boy that everything would be alright. Ayumu hesitated at first, but then gave into his grief and kissed Kanone back; he wanted to forget that he ever had that dream, and he knew Kanone could do that. With that silently agreed on by the two men, Kanone laid Ayumu down on his bed and began undressing him. Of course, not before throwing a blanket over Hiyono's crib; she didn't need to be seeing this.

Right about that time, Kousuke was bounding up the stairs to his new home, followed by a very annoyed Eyes. He had been right, taking Kousuke along was a big mistake. All the other Blade Child did was mooch off of Eyes' luxuries while he was there, and then complain when he had to go with Eyes to the actual tour part of the tour. He sat in the first row, glaring at the pianist the entire time he was playing; after all, he could be getting drunk off his ass right about now, but Eyes felt that security might have a problem with that. The tour had ended early simply because Eyes couldn't take anymore of the redhead and Kousuke and him both agreed that Kanone would have a fit if Kousuke came back alone one week before Eyes did. Kousuke walked up to the door and then realized that he didn't have a key. he turned and chuckled at Eyes' annoyed expression, "After you." He said, moving so that Eyes could let them in. Kousuke was excited that he got to see Ayumu a whole week earlier than planned, he knew Ayumu would be surprised, too. Kousuke walked into the room that Eyes pointed out would be his and Ayumu's. Kousuke walked into the room, happy to see everything put away and the covers ruffled, signaling exactly where Ayumu was. Or, at least where he _should_ have been. As Kousuke crawled into his new bed, he felt around for his boyfriend but came up with only covers. Confused, he walked out into the living room/kitchen area where Eyes was still taking off his shoes, "Have you seen Ayumu?" He asked, looking around.

Eyes shook his head, and seeing Kousuke concerned expression he asked, "What is it?"

"He's not in our room. The bed is unmade which leads me to believe that he was in there, but he's gone now."

"Did you check the bathroom? Or maybe he went in to check up on Hiyono." Eyes offered, a bit annoyed that Kousuke hadn't thought of these things yet.

Kousuke grinned and disappeared. A second later he reemerged and shook his head, "Bathroom's empty."

Eyes glared, "And my room?"

Kousuke looked back towards Eyes and Kanone's room,"Well the door was shut and I didn't want to just barge in on Kanone."

"You could have knocked, honestly Kousuke, you're not _that_ stupid are you?" Kousuke chuckled, he hadn't thought of knocking. Eyes just sighed and led the redhead into his room...and froze in the doorway, his eyes must have been deceiving him. Kanone...and Ayumu...together. He shook his head but quickly stepped out into the hallway, a dazed Kousuke staring at the closed door as well.

"Was that...but how...why...they..." Kousuke went back out to the living room and sat down on the couch, followed by Eyes who was shaking his head in denial. Finally Kousuke spoke, "How long do you think they've been..."

"I don't know." Eyes answered quickly, not allowing Kousuke to finish his question.

"What should we do?" He asked next.

Eyes sighed, how could Kanone do this to him? And Ayumu to Kousuke? Eyes shook his head again, "I don't know." Then hearing a door knob turn, he yanked Kousuke to his feet and pushed him outside, grabbing their shoes and jackets.

"What was that for?" Kousuke yelled.

"Keep your voice down." Eyes snapped, "I don't want them to know we're home yet. We'll confront them later, but if this was a one time thing, I want to give Kanone a chance to come forward with it. You should do the same for Ayumu."

Kousuke exploded at this, "Why the hell should I give him anything?" He yelled, ignoring the glare from Eyes, "He's cheating on me, I don't owe him anything!" Then the words sunk in, _"Oh god, he's cheating on me. He doesn't love me. He probably never did."_ Then Kousuke's attitude changed from extremely pissed to apologetic, "I'm sorry, Rutherford."

"Sorry? For what?" Eyes asked, suspiciously.

"I'm not really sure anymore...if Ayumu ever loved me. But it's very clear that Kanone loved you. So I'm sorry."

"What makes you so sure that Ayumu never loved you? And that Kanone doesn't still love me? We have no idea why..."

"Does it matter why?" Kousuke asked, a little angered again, "And Ayumu...Ayumu only ever said yes to me after Kanone broke his heart. And even then he wasn't even sure if he even liked me...he just wanted to forget about Kanone."

Eyes suddenly felt sorry for Kousuke; he was so unsure of Ayumu's love for him. Eyes could see it so very clearly, but he couldn't be the one to convince Kousuke of that, it would have to be Ayumu, "Listen to me, Kousuke. I know that Ayumu loves you, just as Kanone loves me. Just give him a chance, do you really want to ruin such a good thing over misinterpretations?" Eyes knew he was trying to convince himself of this just as much as he was Kousuke, but he also knew he was right; what is there was just a huge misunderstanding? He wouldn't lose Kanone over such a thing.

"How could_ that_ be misinterpreted? I think it was pretty clear cut what was going on!" Of course, Kousuke made a good point.

Eyes shook his head, "Do what you want then, just know that you could really screw this up for yourself." With that Eyes walked through the door...

...and face to face with Kanone, "Eyes?" Kanone asked, a little confused. But then smiled and wrapped his arms around his husband, "You're home early? Why?" He then pulled back a little, arms still around Eyes' neck, "Is there something wrong?" He asked slightly concerned, but completely relieved that he had decided to get dressed and that Ayumu had already gone back to his room.

Eyes shook his head and then glared at Kousuke, "I couldn't take anymore of him." Eyes replied.

Kanone just laughed, "Was he really that bad?" Eyes simply nodded and Kanone looked to Kousuke, "Ayumu's in your room, you should go in and see him; he's had a rough night."

Eyes thought he was going to have to hold Kousuke back from beating Kanone's face in, _"Yeah, I got a front row seat, thanks!"_ Kousuke screamed in his head but just grinned and nodded, "Okay, goodnight you two."

Eyes simply nodded and Kanone smiled, "Goodnight, Kousuke!" Then to Eyes, "Let's go to bed, I'm sure you've had a long day." Eyes nodded and the two went to their room.

After a few minutes of silence, Eyes couldn't take it any longer, "Kanone?"

"Hm?" Was the response he got, even though the older boy was wide awake.

Eyes sighed, "We need to talk."

Ayumu was laying in his bed, not really happy about what he had done, but not regretting it either. Then Kousuke came in and he thought he was dreaming again, "Kousuke? What are you doing here?"

"What's wrong, not happy to see me?" Kousuke asked, regretting not just sleeping on the couch for tonight.

Ayumu shook his head and curled up to Kousuke as he laid down, "Not at all, I'm just surprised to see you back so early. I'm glad you are though, I really missed you." Ayumu kissed his boyfriend before laying his head on the other's chest, "So...why _are_ you back so early?"

Kousuke tried to wrap his arms around Ayumu, but couldn't get the image out of his mind, "Apparently some pianists can't take being with me for two weeks."

Ayumu laughed at this, "He does know that you're living with him now, right?"

Kousuke grinned at the thought, he seriously doubted Rutherford had even considered this aspect of it yet. Then remembering why he was so upset, Kousuke loosened his grip on Ayumu, "Ayumu?"

"Yeah? What is it?" Ayumu asked looking up to his boyfriend.

Kousuke sighed, _"Sorry, Rutherford."_ He thought, _"I just can't hold out."_ He then turned to Ayumu, "We need to talk."


	32. Chapter 32

"What is it?" Kanone asked, looking up at his husband innocently. Any other day that face would have made Eyes melt and forget he was ever mad about anything, but not today.

_"Now I just have to find out how I'm going to tell him."_ Eyes sighed, the direct approach had always worked before, "Kanone...I saw you and Ayumu together."

Eyes felt the older boy tense up at these words as he looked up to the silver haired man, "Eyes...I..." Kanone was at a loss for words, how could he explain what he had done? He had no excuses, he had cheated on Eyes plain and simple. Kanone just sat up and started to get out of bed.

Eyes, however, wasn't letting him get away. He grabbed the brown haired boy by the wrist, "Where are you going?"

"Well, I can't imagine that you want me in here anymore. I was going to sleep on the couch." Kanone explained, "I have no excuse for what I did, Eyes. The only thing that I can say is that I'm sorry, but I know that's not good enough."

Eyes sat up as well, releasing Kanone's wrist, "You're not going to even come up with an excuse? Am I not even worth that?"

Kanone immediately shook his head, "That's not it at all, I just don't want to lie to you again. I should have told you as soon as you got home, I was stupid to think that I could hide it from you. Eyes, I really don't know what else to say. I don't know why I did it exactly. Ayumu just seemed so...vulnerable."

This caught Eyes' attention, "Why was he in here in the first place?"

"He...had a nightmare. About his brother, and Hiyono. Kiyotaka told him some things and then stabbed Hiyono."

"What things?" Eyes asked, perhaps there was more to this than it seemed.

Kanone was hesitant, but if it could get Eyes to forgive him..., "He said that Ayumu couldn't change our fate, that we were still cursed. And that the Blade Children would only cause him pain."

Eyes considered this, not knowing how accurate Kiyotaka's words were, "So...you were comforting him?" Kanone only nodded and looked towards the door, wondering when this torture would be over and he could just leave. Eyes sighed, "I don't approve of this method exactly, but at least I can understand why you did it now."

Kanone did a double take, "You...understand?" How could that be, Kanone didn't even quite understand it. How did he manage to get so lucky to find Eyes? No one else in this entire world would have been as understanding or accepting as him.

Eyes nodded, "I think so. I only have one question..."

"Of course, what is it?" Kanone asked, thinking he was off the hook, _"Just don't lie to him." _Kanone told himself.

"Do you love him?"

Kanone faltered, _that_ was his question? Maybe lying _wasn't_ so bad... Kanone sighed, "I... I don't know. Certainly not as much as I love you. And even if I do, it's just because of Hiyono. It's definitely not in a romantic way. Eyes, I know you may not believe me, but I love you more than anything on this earth and I would never want to hurt you."

Eyes nodded and laid back down, pulling Kanone with him, "I believe you. In all our years of knowing each other you have never once lied to me. And considering your position, I don't think this would be a wise time to start."

Kanone just shook his head and hugged Eyes, "I love you, Eyes." Kanone looked up, hoping that Eyes would return the phrase.

Instead Eyes just kissed him, "Just be thankful that you're not Ayumu. Kousuke was having a fit before we even came inside."

As if on cue, the two heard a door slam shut and Kanone sighed, feeling sorry for Ayumu. Eyes pushed Kanone off of him and stood up, grabbing an extra blanket and pillow. Kanone sat up, "Where are you going?" He asked, a little afraid he had upset Eyes somehow.

"I'm not completely insensitive." Eyes replied, "It's obvious that Kousuke kicked Ayumu out and I'm taking him a blanket and pillow since there are no extras out there."

Kanone smiled and nodded, "Okay. And I don't think you're insensitive... okay, maybe to some people. Or most people..." Kanone saw the look he was getting and shut up.

Out in the living room, Eyes found he was accurate in assuming that Kousuke kicked Ayumu out of their room, as the latter was now trying to get comfortable on the couch. Something that Eyes knew from personal experience was all but impossible. As he approached, Ayumu sat up nervously, "Hi, Eyes... what are you doing up at this hour?" Ayumu was half afraid that Eyes had come out to beat him up, but then relaxed a little when he saw the pillow and blanket, "That for me?" Eyes nodded and handed the objects to Ayumu, "Thanks." Then after a moment of Eyes staring at him, Ayumu spoke again, "I'm really sorry, Eyes...for what I did. I don't know what Kanone told you, but I take full responsibility for what happened, don't be angry with Kanone."

"I'm not." Eyes replied, shocking Ayumu, "Kanone told me what I can only guess is the truth and I understand _why_...though I really don't approve."

Ayumu sighed and nodded, "Kousuke wasn't quite as understanding... I should have just told him and not thought that I could get away with it."

Eyes nodded in agreement, "True, did he even let you explain?"

Ayumu chuckled and shook his head, "Of course not, he said we needed to talk and then started yelling at me; I couldn't get a word in."

Eyes sighed as he stood up, "Give him some time, you know how Kousuke can be, he'll calm down a little, at least enough to hear you out. Just don't lie to him, tell him the truth."

Ayumu nodded and smiled, thankfully, "Thanks, Eyes."

The Blade Child just smiled slightly, _very_ slightly and walked back to his room, running into Kousuke on the way, "Hey, Rutherford, what's up?"

"I see you were quite hard on Ayumu."

Kousuke scoffed, "Bastard deserved it. Wait...don't tell me you actually _forgave_ Kanone?"

"Just hear him out, Kousuke. Trust me, I don't want to encourage this at all, but Ayumu has had a rough night, Kanone wasn't lying."

"No way! Why would I listen to him, he's already lied to me, why wouldn't he just do it again?"

"You will listen to him because you love him and he won't lie to you because he loves you." With that Eyes reentered his room and laid back down next to Kanone.

"How upset was he?" Kanone asked, meaning Kousuke.

"Just this side of unreasonable." Eyes replied. Kanone just chuckled and fell asleep, followed shortly by Eyes.

Kousuke, on the other hand, was far from asleep. He had just wanted to use the bathroom, but Eyes just had to make him feel guilty,_ "Listen to him? Pfft, why should I, he cheated on me. He couldn't even come up with an excuse, he didn't say anything in fact, just sat there. Why did I even like him in the first place?"_ Kousuke immediately regretted these thoughts, and hated regretting them. He wanted so badly to be angry with Ayumu and not forgive him, but for some reason, Eyes' words lingered in his head, _"You will listen to him because you love him."_ Kousuke sighed and turned over, _"Yeah, so what if I do?"_ Then thought of what else Eyes said,_ "And he won't lie to you because he loves you."_ Another turn another aggravated grunt,_ "So what if he loves me? Why would he cheat on me then? Could he really have a decent excuse?"_ Kousuke started to think rationally,_ "Rutherford's not the most forgiving person in the world, I should know. He's always pissed at me for something or another. So maybe... maybe I should listen to him."_ Then something else Eyes said ran through his mind, _"He said that Ayumu was having a hard night...what if something happened?"_ Now feeling incredibly guilty, Kousuke got up in search of Ayumu. He saw the boy laying on the couch, his back facing the redhead. Kousuke sighed and waked over, sitting on the edge on the couch and alerting Ayumu to his presence. Ayumu turned to see a much calmer Kousuke sitting next to him and immediately sat up, but thought better of saying anything. Kousuke saw this and felt guilty for scaring Ayumu into silence, "I...I'm willing to hear you out." He said and looked to Ayumu.

Ayumu nodded and sighed, not wanting to recall the horrible nightmare, but knowing that he couldn't lie to Kousuke, _"Eyes is right...that would only make things much worse."_ So Ayumu began from the beginning, telling Kousuke about his dream, how he went into Kanone's room only to check up on Hiyono, and how he had broken down and confessed all his fears of being a horrible father to Kanone. He wasn't sure why Kanone decided to take advantage of his weakness, or why he didn't resist once he noticed what was going on, "I just wanted some sort of comfort so badly...I just wanted to forget that horrible dream and Kanone was the only way I could see to do that."

Kousuke now understood what Eyes was talking about, he understood why it happened now, but really couldn't grasp why he understood. Deciding that Rutherford was right, he didn't want to lose Ayumu over such a thing, Kousuke scooted over to Ayumu and hugged him, "Okay...I guess I can deal with it. I love you, Ayumu."

Ayumu tensed at the contact, half expecting to be smacked, but immediately relaxed once he heard Kousuke's words and hugged him back, "I love you, too, Kousuke. And I'm so sorry, I promise that..." He was cut off by a pair of lips pressing against his. He sighed into the kiss and started to return it when Kousuke stood and grabbed his hand, leading him into their bedroom. Ayumu paused to grab the extra pillow and blanket Eyes had given him and detoured towards said man's room, "I'm going to give these back to Eyes." Kousuke nodded and headed into their room.

Kanone answered the knock on the door and smiled as Ayumu handed him the extra bedding, "So I take it Kousuke forgave you?"

Ayumu nodded and smiled back, "Tell Eyes I said thanks." Kanone nodded, just a little confused, but went back to bed to relay the message nonetheless. Ayumu just sighed happily as he crawled back into bed and felt a pair of arms wrap around him and Kousuke kiss the back of his neck and then nuzzle it, whispering 'I love you' to Ayumu. Ayumu placed his arms over Kousuke's, "I love you, too."


	33. Chapter 33

"Hiyono! Are you almost ready?" Ayumu called out for his daughter who was, as far as he knew, still asleep. She certainly took after Kousuke in that aspect.

"I'm coming daddy!" She called. A second later a five year old in pigtails bounded down the stairs. She had on a school uniform and was smiling brightly at Ayumu, it was her first day of school, "Sorry to keep you waiting daddy!" Hiyono said as she ran over and hugged Ayumu.

Ayumu smiled and hugged her back, picking her up and kissing her nose, "It's okay. Are you all ready?"

Hiyono nodded enthusiastically, "Are you taking me?"

Ayumu nodded, "Yep, we just have to wait for Kanone, he can be so lazy sometimes."

"Now that's just ridiculous, Ayumu. I'm nothing of the sort." Kanone commented, coming downstairs, hair and clothes slightly ruffled.

"Oh? You look like you just got out of bed." Ayumu replied, giving Kanone a sceptical look.

_"Well, technically..."_ Kanone thought and just smirked, "Well despite my appearance, I_ am_ ready." Kanone straightened his clothes and ran his hands through his hair, "There, better?"

"It'll have to do. We don't want to be late for Hiyono's first day."

Kanone looked to his daughter and walked over to the two. Hiyono immediately jumped into Kanone's arms and hugged him, "Good morning, daddy!" She yelled into his ear, nearly deafening him.

Kanone smiled and hugged her back while wincing at the pain in his ear, "Good morning, Hiyono. You're quite loud this morning."

Hiyono just giggled and Ayumu gave him a look, "She's just excited. Now let's go." Kanone nodded and the three left for Hiyono's first day of school.

After hearing the door shut, the rest of the Blade Children walked downstairs, "Do you think he's told Ayumu yet?" Kousuke asked.

Ryoko would have normally called him an idiot and hit him, but today she just shook her head, "No. He probably wants to wait until the last minute. I doubt he wants to worry Ayumu any more than necessary."

Eyes nodded, "He'll tell him when he feels the time is right; just like he did with us." The others nodded and fell into a depressed silence.

"Do you think...he'll be able to save us?" Kousuke asked, looking to Eyes; the others doing the same, waiting for his answer.

Eyes shook his head, "I really don't know. It doesn't seem likely...and I think Kanone feels the same way. Or else he would have told Ayumu by now." Kousuke sighed, "What will happen with you and Rio?"

Eyes looked to the small girl, "If we escape this year...it won't be long." They all considered these words, knowing they couldn't escape their fate.

"What will happen to Hiyono and Ayumu?"

"Kanone will want Hiyono out of here." Eyes replied, already having talked it over with his husband, "I'm sure Ayumu feels the same way. He will, however, want to stay. That I'm sure of."

Kousuke shook his head, "No. I won't put his life at risk. Not when I could be the one to take it; I refuse to let that happen."

Eyes sympathized with the redhead; he and Kanone shared the same fate, but Ayumu had a future ahead of him. One that could be cut very short if he chose to stay with the Blade Children. Which they all already knew he would.

Just then Kanone and Ayumu walked through the door and saw the four standing there, obviously depressed by something. Kanone knew immediately was bugging them but Ayumu was confused. He walked over to Kousuke, "What's wrong? What were you guys doing?"

Kousuke looked to Kanone who just shook his head and then looked back to Ayumu, "It's nothing, we'll talk about it later, okay?" Without giving Ayumu the chance to answer Kousuke kissed him. Pulling away he looked to the others, "Hey, what about breakfast?"

The others agreed even though they really weren't hungry. However, it would be something to distract Ayumu, so they all nodded. Kousuke looked to Ayumu who eyed the five suspiciously but nodded, "Yeah, sure. What do you want?"


	34. Chapter 34

As Ayumu finished washing the dishes after breakfast he turned to Kousuke as well as the others, "So what are you guys doing for your birthdays?"

Wouldn't you know it, all the Blade Children had the same birthday. That day happened to be in one week and Ayumu had yet to get any of them anything, what were you supposed to get people like them? He could always go with melons for Rio, but what for Eyes, Kanone, Kousuke, and even Ryoko? Ayumu felt guilty, he should known what to get his boyfriend for his birthday, but he was clueless. The Blade Children traded uncomfortable glances at the mention of their birthday, they all knew exactly what they would be doing. Kousuke was the one to answer, "We were thinking of going out."

"Where to?' Ayumu asked, hoping to join them.

"Just a place I heard about." Kanone answered, "And we'd love it if you could join us...but it's not exactly a place we could take Hiyono." Kanone explained. The others nodded, glad that the Blade Child was so capable of thinking on his feet.

Ayumu sighed and nodded, "Alright, I understand." Kousuke felt guilty for lying to his boyfriend, they all did. But it was the only way to protect him.

_"I won't allow him to be hurt. Not again."_ Kousuke thought. Ayumu had been through enough because of the Blade Children, he didn't need this as well. Besides, saving them had helped him to realize that he was better than his brother; if he found out that he had failed...Kousuke shook the thought off and walked over to Ayumu, "So what time does Hiyono get out?"

"Around 12." Ayumu replied.

12 rolled around and Ayumu opened the door, preparing to leave, "Kanone are you coming?"

Kanone looked up from making out with Eyes and blushed, "I'd rather stay here if it's all the same."

Ayumu just chuckled and nodded, walking out the door. Eyes looked to his husband, "When are you planning on telling him? We only have a week left."

"I don't plan on telling him anything." Kanone replied, "We'll all be dead by the time this is over...it'll hurt him, but not as much as trying to help us would. Besides, he needs to be here for Hiyono."

Kousuke overheard this and entered the living room, where the two were, along with the girls, "You're not telling him!" He shouted, "He deserves to know. Besides, Kanone, you should have more faith. What if Ayumu really can save us and you're just throwing away that opportunity?"

Kanone sighed and looked to the others who seemed to agree with Kousuke, even Eyes, "Alright then. But I want to be the one to tell him, not a word until I do, alright?" The others agreed and it wasn't long before Ayumu returned with Hiyono...to find Kanone and Eyes in the same position as he left them.

Ayumu quickly covered Hiyono's eyes, "Hey you two, innocent little girl over here doesn't need to see that!"

Kanone jumped at Ayumu's slightly irritated and angered voice and blushed, standing up, "Sorry about that." He immediately smiled as he saw Hiyono who had slipped out from behind Ayumu's leg to see what the commotion was all about, "Hello, Hiyono, how was your first day?"

"It was great! I made a lot of new friends and even got invited over to someone's house for dinner tomorrow! They said you could come, too." Hiyono replied, looking hopefully from one father to the other.

Kanone immediately agreed, "Of course you can go." To Ayumu, "We should as well."

Ayumu nodded in agreement and looked down to Hiyono, "Where does your friend live?"

Hiyono thought about it for a second and then shrugged, "Guess I forgot to ask...sorry."

Ayumu chuckled and picked her up, "That's okay, just point out her parents to me tomorrow and we'll set it up."

Hiyono nodded, "Thank you, daddy!" She said and then looked confused, "How did you know my friend was a girl?"

"Huh? Oh...just a lucky guess." He replied smiling, "Hey, I bet you're tired after a long day at school. You want to take a nap?" Hiyono nodded and laid her head on Ayumu's shoulder as he walked past Kanone to take her upstairs, glaring at the Blade Child for his previous comment to Hiyono's question, _"Mother's intuition my ass."_ He thought as Kanone chuckled, reading his mind.

The next night Kanone and Ayumu were all ready to go over to Hiyono's friend's house. Jessica didn't live very far away so they had a couple of minutes to go over some rules that, by now, should be common sense to the young girl, "And never interrupt anyone when they're talking to you or someone..."

"Kanone." Eyes interrupted his husband as he was finishing his lecture.

Kanone sighed as Hiyono giggled. He looked to Hiyono, "And we can use my beloved husband as an example of all that is rude and impolite." Kanone commented as he turned to said man, "Yes, dear?"

Ayumu had to keep from busting out laughing at Kanone's annoyed tone, but Eyes just glared at him, "I was hoping to have a word with you before you left. However, if you're too busy..." Eyes trailed off, looking at Kanone.

Kanone just chuckled, "No, I was just trying to teach my daughter some manners." Kanone replied, "Nothing too important." He added sarcastically.

Eyes just glared again and walked out of the room, waiting for Kanone to follow. Which he, of course, did. When they were in their own room Eyes turned to Kanone, "I think you should tell him tonight."

"Oh? And why is that?" Kanone asked, skeptically. To tell the truth, he had been considering doing just that.

"If you expect him to be able to do anything by next week, he will need time to think things through. I don't think you should wait until the last minute."

Kanone sighed and nodded, knowing that Eyes was right, "Okay, I'll tell him tonight. After we get back we'll all sit down and talk."

Eyes kissed Kanone who smiled into the kiss. When he broke apart, however, the pianist was looking slightly concerned, "Do you have any idea_ when_ it is?"

"You mean the actual time?" Eyes nodded and Kanone shook his head, "Not a clue. I just know this year on our birthday."

"What about me and Rio? Will we be changed as well since we're a year younger?"

Kanone considered this, "I don't know exactly; I just know the year, I don't know whether it is significant because of the age we're turning or the year itself." Kanone thought about it, "If it's the former..."

"Then Rio and I are safe for another year." Eyes finished for him. Kanone nodded.

A moment of silence before Kanone spoke again, "Eyes...you have so much faith in Ayumu, but why? It was so easy to save us from the Hunters because there was something he could do about it, but this...how can we expect him to save us?"

Eyes thought about it and hugged Kanone, "Just believe." He whispered.

Kanone was about to ask him something else when they heard Ayumu's voice through the door, "Hey, Kanone, hurry up or we'll be late."

"Coming." Kanone called to his former lover, then to his current one, "We shouldn't be too terribly long; you know how kids are."

"I know how we were." Eyes replied, a bit too fondly, "If those two are anything like us I won't see you for another 20 years."

Kanone laughed, "I honestly doubt they are." Eyes nodded and kissed Kanone once more, telling him goodbye and that he loved him. Kanone did the same and went to join Ayumu and Hiyono who were already in the car.

Hiyono made a joke about how kissing was nasty and Ayumu smirked thinking, _"You think _that's_ nasty..."_ Kanone was thinking the same thing.

Dinner at Jessica's house had gone well, except Kanone had yet to talk to Ayumu, didn't girls like to lock their doors and gossip about things? Maybe Hiyono was still too young for all of that. Finally Hiyono walked up to Kanone, "Daddy, can I go play with Jessica for a while?"

Kanone smiled, relieved, "Of course you can, just remember what I told you."

Hiyono nodded, "Thank you, daddy!" And with that she ran off.

Jessica's mother, Debbie, smiled at Kanone, "Your daughter is so well mannered, how did you manage that? Jessica has got such a mind of her own."

"Thank you." Kanone replied, "Manners are just common sense around our house. Good manners can go a long way."

The other three nodded and Tom, Jessica's father, turned to Ayumu, "So how do you two know each other?"

Kanone hesitated but Ayumu answered for him, "I'm Hiyono's father."

"But...I thought Kanone was her father." Debbie asked, looking between the two men.

"I am." Kanone answered bluntly and without warning, stood and smiled, "I'm afraid that I have to speak with Ayumu. Could you please excuse us?"

The two nodded, still confused, and Kanone walked outside, followed by Ayumu, "What is it, Kanone? Did you not want them to know about our situation?"

Kanone shook his head, "That's not it at all, Ayumu. I need to talk to you about something else."

"Alright. What is it?"


	35. Chapter 35

"What is it, Kanone?" Ayumu asked, wondering what could be so urgent.

Kanone hesitated but found the right words eventually, "I need to talk to you, Ayumu. It's something that I've been meaning to tell you for a while now."

"What?" He asked again, confused.

"Ayumu, our curse, the Blade Children's curse, runs deeper than you know. You...you have saved us from the Hunters, that's true, but not from our fate."

"What are you talking about? Your fate? What fate?" Ayumu knew it was an obvious question but he couldn't think of what else the Blade Children could go through.

"On our birthdays this year." Kanone started, "The blood that runs through our veins will...change us."

"Change you? How?" Ayumu was concerned now, he hadn't seen Kanone this serious in a long time.

"We will become different...dangerous. We won't be the same people we are now, we will be killers. There's no other way to explain it; we will just kill. Without conscious thought or reason."

"How do you know all of this?" Ayumu asked.

"It's our fate, the fate of the Blade Children, I've always known it. I was told this when I was very young, I can't remember by who exactly, but I've never forgotten it."

Ayumu considered this, "Do the others know?" Kousuke wouldn't have kept such information from him, would he?

"I told them a while ago. And before you jump to any conclusions, I asked them all to not say anything until I talked to you."

Ayumu nodded, "Why are you telling me this? What are you expecting from me?"

"I don't expect much Ayumu, I don't expect much at all. I don't think that our fate can be changed. As much as I want to believe it could be, I can't waste my time on something so foolish as believing. But it turns out that in the end any efforts to change our fate were foolish. It's a battle we just can't win."

Ayumu briefly flashed back to the dream he had before he slept with Kanone, _"Well that makes more sense now."_ Ayumu sighed, "Is there anything I can do? You obviously told me for a reason. You have to be expecting something out of me."

"The others...they still think you can save us. But that's for you to figure out. I just want to be able to spend my last days on this earth with my daughter and my husband."

Ayumu gasped, "Hiyono."

Kanone nodded, knowing exactly what Ayumu was thinking, "I've already discussed it with the others. We've all agreed she shouldn't be here when it happens. That's also why I was against telling you; if you're with us when the change occurs, there will be a high probability that you will be killed. I don't want Hiyono to be all alone in this world."

"I don't either, but where could we send her?"

"Have you told Madoka about her?"

Ayumu nodded, "She was even angrier than she had been when we were just sleeping together."

Kanone laughed at this, "Alright then. What about your parents?"

Ayumu had already considered them, of course, "Her being with my parents also means her being with Kiyotaka." He noted.

Kanone cursed under his breath and sighed, "Any other ideas? Do you have any other family or close friends?"

Ayumu thought about it then shook his head, "No other family that I can think of, and no friends I can trust with my daughter." The two of them stood in silence for a second longer until Ayumu spoke again, "So do you have any idea how I could help you?"

"I'd rather not put my energy into thinking about it. I've accepted my fate by now. I once thought that we could change our own fate, but now I realize that even that is a ridiculous notion."

Ayumu was angry at hearing this, "So you're just giving up? That's not like you at all, Kanone. I realize there are many things that you're worried about right now, but that's just another reason why you _can't_ give up. I'll help you all to the best of my abilities, but I'll need your help as well."

Kanone smiled, "Alright." If Ayumu believed in himself this much, then Kanone could at least try.

A second later the front door opened and Hiyono ran outside, "Daddy? I'm ready to go!" Hiyono yelled, moving to the car and looking around for the two. Ayumu and Kanone had been secluded in the shadows, but now emerged and approached their daughter who had drawn her attention to the area where she had heard some noise. Her sights fell on the two and she ran over to them, hugging Kanone who she reached first, "What were you doing, daddy?"

"Just talking, but we're done now." Kanone replied, hugging her back and passing her off to Ayumu who in turn hugged her as they made their way to the car.

When they got home, the other Blade Children were waiting for them in the living room. Kanone nodded and looked to Hiyono, "Honey, why don't you go to bed now?"

Hiyono started to object but nodded, "Okay, goodnight everyone!" The others said goodnight and Ayumu and Kanone kissed her forehead, telling her to sleep well.

Kanone turned to the others, "Ayumu has agreed to help us."

The others, especially Kousuke, looked relieved and said boy stood up and walked over to Ayumu, "Thank you." He whispered before giving Ayumu a quick kiss and grabbing his hand, leading him over to where he had been sitting a second ago.

Kanone joined Eyes and sat on his lap and looked to the others, "Have you two discussed what will be done?" Eyes asked Kanone and Ayumu.

Kanone shook his head, "I only told him the basics. We're still not sure what to so about Hiyono."

"Well she has to be our first priority." Kousuke said, earning him a loving smile from Ayumu.

"Does anyone know anyone that could take her?" Kanone asked, looking around the group, all shaking their heads.

"Wait." Ryoko spoke up, "I have a friend. Kousuke, you know him."

Kousuke thought about it for a second, "That's right. His name was Chris, right?"

"Christian. Idiot." Ryoko corrected him.

"Oh yeah." Kousuke said, rubbing the back of his head, "He's a good guy." He said, turning to Ayumu, "We could definitely trust him."

Ayumu hesitated and looked to Kanone who also looked uncertain but nodded anyhow, "I'm not completely comfortable leaving her with someone I don't know, but it seems we have no other choice."

Ayumu nodded in agreement and turned back to Ryoko, "He lives around here?"

She nodded, "I can call him tomorrow morning. I'm sure he'll do it. He's part of a foster family, so she won't be lonely."

"That's good. Now that that is dealt with, what are we going to do? We have five days to come up with a plan." Ayumu asked the others.

Unfortunately, the others had been racking their brains ever since Kanone told them about what would happen, and no one had come up with anything. Kousuke informed Ayumu of this, "That's why we were hoping you would have an idea of what to do." Though he had his doubts, how could you do anything about something like this? It was the blood inside their bodies that would bring about the occurrence, the only way to prevent it would be to kill them all which Ayumu wouldn't do.

Ayumu sighed, then stood up suddenly, "I forgot I have to meet with someone."

"Who are you meeting with this late at night?" Kousuke asked, it was already 10; dinner at Jessica's had taken a lot longer than expected.

"I'm late, I didn't think dinner would take this long. I'll be back later, this shouldn't take too long." He told Kousuke.

The redhead nodded, "Alright, hurry back." He told his boyfriend and with one more kiss Ayumu was off.

A few minutes later, Ayumu was standing outside his destination. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door. A figure appeared on the other side and unlocked the door. He opened up the door and stared at Ayumu for a second before realizing who it was, "Ah, Ayumu." He said, smirking, "Come in."


	36. Chapter 36

"Thanks." Ayumu said a bit bitterly, he didn't want to see his brother right now, but he was the only person he could think of that could possibly help Ayumu.

"So, what brings you around here at this time of night?" Kiyotaka asked, smirking. He knew exactly why Ayumu was there; it was the Blade Children's birthday in a few days if he remembered correctly, which, of course, he always did.

"You already know why I'm here, don't you?" Ayumu asked. His brother had been involved with the Blade Children long before Ayumu had, no doubt he knew of their true fate.

Kiyotaka chuckled, "Of course I do, Ayumu. But why come to me? Why would I help you save those wretched beings?"

Ayumu glared at his brother, why did he think he was so much better than them? "If you have one bit of decency left in you, you'll help me." Ayumu guilted Kiyotaka.

The older one just chuckled again, "Is that so? Why do you care for them so much, Ayumu? I suppose I could understand you wanting to protect Kanone, he _is_ the father of your daughter, but why the others? Especially Kousuke, he's so obnoxious."

Ayumu gritted his teeth, "I didn't come here to have you insult my boyfriend." He said defensively, "I just want your help. Why do you hate them so much?"

"You still know what they're destined for and you still wish to stay with them? They will only bring you pain, Ayumu, I am only trying to protect you."

"I don't need your protection, they do!" Ayumu shouted, angered at the memory of his nightmare. Kiyotaka had said the same thing then, what if it was true?

"I can do nothing for them, that's on you, little brother." Kiyotaka replied, "I hate to see my family so involved with dangerous people, but if you choose to stay with them, which I'm sure you will, then don't rely on anyone else's help. You have to do it yourself."

Ayumu stood up from his seat, "I can't help them. I don't know what to do, that's why I came here. I thought you would realize that, Kiyotaka. You say you want to help me and protect me, but if I go through with this like I am, so unprepared, then I will be killed. You know that and still you refuse to help me?"

Kiyotaka frowned at the truth behind his brother's words, "I refuse to help you because I can't do anything to help you, Ayumu, but you can. You are the key to their salvation, but they must believe in you. If they have no faith then they will seal their own fate."

Ayumu thought about his brother's words and then spoke the words that he swore he never would, "What can believing possibly do?" Ayumu had long ago put his faith into himself and what he believed in, but he couldn't stop himself from speaking these words. What _could_ simply believing do in a situation like this?

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself." Kiyotaka replied, "Just believe in yourself and they will follow. You must be sure of yourself, though, if you hesitate they will follow suit, and this is not a time when you can hesitate."

Ayumu nodded; somehow, though he wasn't sure how yet, Kiyotaka had helped him, "Thanks." Ayumu said, and, without another word, left.

Walking down the street a million thoughts ran through his head, _"You are the key to their salvation, but they must believe in you."_ Kiyotaka's words ran through his head, what did it mean?_ "So what if they believe in me, that won't possibly help them, will it? How could it?"_ Ayumu groaned at the headache that was forming, he had never thought so much or so intently on anything in his life. He knew why, of course, it was because they all mattered so much to him. And because he felt responsible, _"If what Kiyotaka says is true, then I am responsible for them."_ Though Kiyotaka had said that they would seal their own fate, Ayumu had to help them. He was, for all purposes, one of the Blade Children now. He now shared their fate, though it was, in part, of his own free will. He felt tied to them, though, and he couldn't just ignore their cry for help. No, he had no choice in the matter anymore. Reaching home he quietly opened the door as to not wake the others, which was pointless since they were all there, waiting for him, "What are all of you still doing here? And awake?" It had to be well past midnight and yet the five Blade Children were still sitting in the apartment he shared with the other three.

Kousuke was the first one to respond, "I couldn't sleep because I was a little worried, you left so suddenly."

"Hiyono wouldn't go to sleep until I had assured her that I would stay up as well." Kanone replied. Eyes stayed silent, but Ayumu knew that he had been up because he couldn't go to sleep without Kanone next to him.

"I see, so why are you two here?"

"We decided to stay and see what had you leaving in such a hurry. We thought maybe you had an idea but didn't want to tell us about it if it didn't pan out." Ryoko explained.

Rio looked up from her snack and nodded, "And Eyes had another melon for me, too!" She exclaimed, motioning to the fruit in her hands.

Ayumu smirked at this and went to join them, sitting next to Kousuke. As he sat and looked around, he realized they were all waiting for him to explain his absence for the past two hours. Sighing he grabbed Kousuke's hand, "I went to see Kiyotaka." He confessed. He saw Kanone shift slightly at the mention of the name and Eyes put an arm around him, protectively, but, other than that, no one moved or said anything, "He said some things that I didn't understand. I'm not sure whether or not it was helpful."

"What did he say?" Kousuke asked.

Ayumu hesitated, not sure of whether to tell them the details, but deciding that it couldn't hurt, "He said that I was the key to your salvation, but that you had to believe in me. That was about it." Kousuke and Kanone could tell immediately that that wasn't even close to all, but Ayumu didn't want to say anything in front of the others.

"That's it?" Rio asked sadly, "But we already believe in you, Ayumu, how is that going to help us?"

Ayumu shook his head, "I don't know, but that's what he said."

"Well why should we believe _him_?" Kousuke asked, "He's never done anything to help us before, what if he's just lying to us now, trying to throw us off?"

Ayumu gave him the same answer and Kousuke got upset. Ryoko sighed and stood up, looking to Rio, "Are you ready to go home?" She asked.

Rio stood and nodded, "Goodnight everyone." She said, leaving her half finished melon on the table and following Ryoko out the door; she just wasn't hungry right now.

This alarmed all of them somewhat, Rio had never abandoned a melon like that and Ayumu felt responsible, it had been his bad news that brought her down. He stood, tired and just wanting to go to sleep. Kousuke saw this and stood as well, still holding his hand, "Let's just try and get some sleep, okay?" Ayumu nodded and said goodnight to the other two men and followed Kousuke into their bedroom. Ayumu saw Hiyono on their bed and smiled faintly, knowing that she would be safe with Ryoko's friend, at least he hoped she would, "She'll be fine." Kousuke whispered in his ear, hugging him from behind, "Do you think either Ryoko or I would even suggest someone to look after her whom we didn't trust?"

Ayumu sighed and paced his hands over Kousuke's, "No, I just don't want her to be without me or Kanone after this is all over. If the worst should happen..."

"Don't say that. I know it's like you to always prepare for everything, but just leave this up to fate, okay?"

It was odd to hear Kousuke speak these words and Ayumu couldn't help but wonder, "How could I leave something as important as her to something as unreliable as fate?"

Kousuke smiled, "Well what good is worrying about something you can do nothing about? You can't change what is meant to happen, Ayumu. If you're meant to save us, then you will. If you're not, then..." Kousuke trailed off and moved to the bed, laying on one side of Hiyono, "Let's just worry about this tomorrow."

_"Then what?"_ Ayumu thought, _"If I can't save you then just blame it on fate?"_ It sounded like Kousuke to blame something on someone else, but this was their lives he was passing off so casually. Ayumu nodded and joined him nonetheless, laying on the other side of Hiyono.

The small girl woke up at the feeling of other people on the bed and opened her eyes to see Ayumu staring back at her, "Daddy, when did you get home?" She asked, raising her hand to cover up a yawn.

Ayumu smile and kissed her forehead, pulling her to him, "Just a couple of minutes ago."

She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes again, yawning once more, "Where were you?"

"I was meeting with someone." Ayumu replied reaching over and grabbing Kousuke's arm and pulling him closer as well. Kousuke grinned and rolled over so he was facing Hiyono and Ayumu. He put his arm over the two, sandwiching Hiyono between the two men. Ayumu supposed his answer satisfied his daughter because she was soon asleep again.


	37. Chapter 37

It was the day before the Blade Children's birthday, and Ayumu and Kanone had gone with Ryoko to see her friend, Christian, and drop off Hiyono. Ayumu held Hiyono's hand and looked to Ryoko, "You're sure about this?" He asked for the fifth time since they had left.

Ryoko looked a bit annoyed, but just nodded, "Yes, Ayumu, I'm positive. Christian is a great guy, and I guarantee you'll love him."

"Hopefully not too much or else I'll have to tell Kousuke." Kanone joked.

Ayumu glared at the two and looked down to Hiyono, "You ready?"

Kanone and Ayumu had explained to Hiyono that she would be staying with a friend of theirs for a few days and she agreed, happy that she was going to get to play with kids her own age outside of school, "I'm ready, daddy!"

This caught Kanone's attention and he grabbed Hiyono's other hand, "Now you be a good girl, and make sure to be polite. These people are our friends and I know what a little monster you can be."

Hiyono pouted at him and Kanone just laughed. Ayumu glared at him and picked Hiyono up, "Well, we know where you got that from, don't we?" Hiyono laughed and nodded, looking to Kanone.

Said boy fell back in step with Ryoko and glanced at her, "So where do you know Christian from?"

"He was on our school track team." Ryoko explained, "He and I used to train together a lot and we became quick friends."

Kanone smiled; if Ryoko approved of someone, then that person must be pretty good. Kanone didn't like to think badly of Ryoko, but she could be kind of picky when it came to her friends. He knew for sure that if she wasn't one of the Blade Children then her and Kousuke wouldn't even know each other. They arrived at Christian's house a few minutes later and Ryoko knocked a couple of times on the door. A second later a young boy answered the door and looked at the four strangers, "Can I help you?" He asked in a small voice, trying to hide behind the door while still looking at them.

Ryoko smiled and approached him, "Hi there, is Christian home?"

The little boy looked between her, Kanone, and Ayumu and then his eyes started to water up. He sniffed a couple of times and ran back inside, slamming the door shut. Ryoko looked to Kanone and Ayumu and shrugged, but before she could say anything the door opened again. Ryoko turned around to face a middle aged man and a slightly older woman, "Can we help you?" The man asked, a little defensively.

"I just wanted to know if Christian was home." Ryoko answered.

"Who are you?" The woman asked.

"I'm his friend, we were on the track team together. We haven't spoken in a few years, but I'm sure he'll remember me."

The woman shook her head and went back inside, crying. The man turned back to the four, "He won't remember you; Christian died a couple years ago."

Ryoko gasped and looked down, "I-I'm sorry." Was all she could say.

She ran off and Kanone nodded to the man, "I'm sorry to hear about your loss, thank you for your time." The man nodded and closed the door, and Kanone turned to Ayumu, "We should catch up with her before she gets herself hurt." Ayumu nodded, and the two ran off. They had walked around the entire city and found no sign of Ryoko. Ayumu sighed and shifted Hiyono from one shoulder to the other; she was getting pretty heavy. Kanone noticed this, "Tired?" Ayumu nodded, "Here, I'll take her."

"Thanks." Ayumu said, happy to be relieved of the weight, "Maybe we should just go back home. Ryoko can take care of herself and we need to get Hiyono to bed."

Kanone nodded, "Alright, let's go." They made it home about 10 minutes later, and walked in to see Kousuke and Eyes waiting for them in the kitchen.

Kousuke stood up as soon as they walked in and walked over to Ayumu, "Where have you two been?"

"We've been looking for Ryoko." Ayumu explained everything as Kanone took Hiyono into his bedroom.

Kousuke just looked confused, "Why have you been looking for her? Ryoko called here a couple hours ago saying that she was heading home."

"What?" Ayumu sighed and looked to Kanone as he emerged from the bedroom, "Ryoko went home." He said.

Kanone just sighed and chuckled a little, "Well, that figures."

Eyes had been silent until now, "So you haven't found a place for Hiyono yet?"

Kanone shook his head, "What are we going to do?"

"We've got to get her somewhere tonight." Ayumu pointed out the obvious, "I hate to say it, but we may have to leave her with my parents and Kiyotaka."

Kanone stiffened at the suggestion, "Ayumu..." He started.

"I know you don't want to, Kanone, but what other choice do we have?"

Kanone sighed and racked his brain for any other option, "I...I don't know."

"I'll take her when she wakes up, do you want to come?"

Kanone hesitated, but eventually agreed, "I want to see her as much as possible before tomorrow."

Eyes stood and walked over to Kanone, "I'm coming with you." He left no room for argument and walked into their bedroom.

Kanone sighed and looked to Ayumu, "Well, I'll come and get you when she wakes up." Ayumu nodded and watched Kanone disappear after Eyes.

Kousuke hugged him, "It'll be okay, I believe in you. I know you'll figure something out."

Ayumu chuckled, "No pressure, right?"

Kousuke grinned and grabbed Ayumu's hand, leading him into their bedroom, "Yeah, but you'll like this pressure." He whispered, seductively.

An hour and a half later there was a knock on Ayumu and Kousuke's locked door, "Ayumu? Kousuke? Hiyono's up, we should get going soon."

Ayumu groaned, rolling over, "Be out in a minute." He called.

He would have fallen back asleep except Kousuke started poking his side, "You need to get up, Ayumu. Kanone won't wait forever."

Ayumu groaned again and sat up, "You honestly think he'd go without me?"

Kousuke considered this and nodded, "Probably." Ayumu jumped out of bed at hearing this, and quickly got dressed.

He emerged from his bedroom, hair still messed up, and grinned at the two waiting men and his daughter, "Ready."

Eyes looked annoyed and Kanone didn't look much better. Hiyono giggled and ran into the other room. A second later she came back holding a comb, "Here, daddy." She said, handing the much needed brush to Ayumu.

Ayumu thanked her and took the brush, combing through his hair quickly, and then looking back to the three waiting, "Okay, I'm ready now. Right?" He said, looking to Hiyono. She giggled and nodded, and the four left.

A little while later they ended up in front of the same building that Ayumu had a few days before, "Just let me talk to him." Ayumu told the other two who simply nodded.

Ayumu knocked on the door and Kiyotaka answered, "What is it?" He asked, not realizing who it was.

"Nice way to greet your brother." Ayumu said, annoyed.

"Hm? Oh, Ayumu, back so soon? What can I do for you now?" He looked past his brother and saw Kanone, Eyes, and Hiyono, "Quite a little group you have going on here. To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, eyeing Kanone.

Eyes growled softly, putting his arm around Kanone. Ayumu drew Kiyotaka's attention back to him, "We don't have a place for Hiyono." Ayumu started to explain.

Kiyotaka waited for a second and realized his brother was waiting for a response, "So? Why would you need a place for her?"

"She can't be with us tomorrow!" Ayumu said, desperately, "I have no idea what will happen, and I can't risk her life."

Kiyotaka chuckled, "Ayumu, I thought you would realize something as simple as this."

Ayumu was confused, they all were, "As simple as what?"

"Think about it. The Blade Children's curse results from the blood throughout their veins."

Ayumu got it,_ "Hiyono is Kanone's. She shares his blood...she shares their fate."_ Ayumu shook his head, "No...it's not possible."

"I thought you would realize this, Ayumu."

Ayumu just looked to the other three. Kanone and Eyes looked saddened, but Hiyono just looked confused. No one had explained to her about the Blade Children, and definitely not about their fate, "Daddy, what is he talking about?"

Kanone looked down to Hiyono, "Don't worry about it, honey." He smiled sadly, "Everything will be okay."

Hiyono nodded, convinced that everything really would be alright. Ayumu wished that he could be as naive as she was, but knew that by now that was impossible, "Let's go." He turned once more back to his brother, "Thanks, Kiyotaka. I'll talk to you later, I hope."

Kiyotaka nodded, "Stop by after everything if you can. I want to know how it all turns out." Ayumu nodded and the four went back home. Three thinking of tomorrow, and one falling asleep in Kanone's arms, blissfully unaware of her fate.

The next day Ayumu woke up extremely early. He was surprised he had been able to get any sleep, as unrestful as it was. He walked out into the kitchen to find that the other three were already up and the girls had arrived as well. Kousuke tried to smile, but failed as he stood up to hug Ayumu, "Good morning." He whispered softly.

"Morning." Ayumu said to Kousuke. He turned to the others, taking in their appearance. Eyes and Kanone were sitting together, wrapped in each other's arms. Rio and Ryoko were also sitting together; Ryoko's arm was around Rio, and the smaller girl as leaning her head on the other's shoulder. They all looked incredibly depressed and Ayumu realized that even Hiyono was awake and had the same sad face as everyone else.

Ayumu looked to Kousuke and he explained, "We couldn't hide the truth from her any longer. She has a right to know what's happening."

Ayumu was about to object, but decided against it, "I understand. How long have you all been up?"

"Eyes and I couldn't get to sleep so we've been up all night. Rio and Ryoko came here around three, they couldn't sleep either. Kousuke got up around four and Hiyono woke up about half an hour ago." It hadn't taken long to explain everything to Hiyono, and she had taken everything exceptionally well.

"So...what now?" Rio asked timidly.

Ayumu shrugged slightly and grabbed Kousuke's hand, "I guess...we just wait."


	38. Chapter 38

It had been five hours since Ayumu got up and nothing had happened, "Only ten o'clock." He muttered, still holding Kousuke's hand. The hand holding his suddenly squeezed shut tightly nearly breaking Ayumu's fingers, "Ow, Kousuke, what are you..." Ayumu trailed off as he looked over to Kousuke to see him holding his side, gritting his teeth in pain, "Kousuke?" Ayumu asked, _"Is it happening? What do I do?"_

"Ayumu...something's wrong. I think..." Kousuke's words trailed off into a scream of pain.

Ayumu looked at the others to see they were all holding their sides in pain as well, "Guys?" Ayumu looked over to Hiyono who was next to Kanone, she was crying, "Hiyono!" Ayumu stood up, terrified, _"What do I do? What did Kiyotaka say? They have to believe in me. How will that help?!"_ Ayumu wrenched his fingers from Kousuke's, "I'll be back in a second. Just hold on." He quickly walked over to Hiyono, "Hiyono? Honey, are you okay?" Ayumu asked in a small voice.

"Daddy, my side hurts, and I can't breathe." Hiyono gasped out in short breaths.

"Ayumu, get out of here; we were right, there's nothing you can do. Just leave." Came Kanone's voice from next to Hiyono.

"No, way am I leaving now! I have to do something. I won't leave you here to fight this alone!" Ayumu shouted even though he was shaking, terrified of what was to come.

Hiyono smiled slightly for the first time in hours, "I believe in you, daddy. It might not be much, but I believe that you will help us."

Ayumu hid his tears as he hugged Hiyono, "That means the world to me, Hiyono. Thank you."

Kousuke had made his way over to Ayumu and Hiyono and now sat down next to them, "I believe in you, too, Ayumu. Just take your time, you'll figure it out." With that Kousuke grabbed his side again in pain, "No pressure, but try to hurry up, okay?"

Ayumu nodded and thought, _"What can I do? How could I possibly save them?"_

"Daddy, believe in yourself. If you don't, then we can't. That's what Kiyotaka said, right?" Hiyono asked, laying her head on Ayumu's lap, "You have to believe."

_"She's right, that is what Kiyotaka said. And I do believe I can save them; I have to. I can't live without Hiyono and Kousuke, I love them so much. Kanone, too, I won't let them face this on their own. I will find a way to save them."_ Just then, Hiyono started to glow a little. It started around her chest and spread all throughout her body, a blue tint now covering her and pulsating with each breath she took, "Hiyono? Are you okay?" Ayumu asked.

Hiyono opened her eyes and smiled brightly at Ayumu, "Daddy, the pain's gone! I can breathe again! See I knew you could do it!" With that said, Hiyono slowly faded away, disappearing completely right before Ayumu's eyes.

Before Ayumu had a chance to react, a glowing blue hand grabbed his wrist. Ayumu turned to see Kousuke grinning at him, "You did it, Ayumu. Hiyono was right, all we had to do was believe." Kousuke kissed Ayumu gently and then faded away just as Hiyono had.

Next Ayumu turned to see Rio standing up and running over to Ayumu, hugging him. She was glowing as well and looked up to him, "Thanks, Ayumu!" Was all that she said before disappearing with the others.

Ryoko didn't say anything but just smiled at him as she faded away to join her friends. Ayumu turned to see Eyes and Kanone still there, but only Eyes was covered in blue. He stood and walked to Ayumu, "Kanone still has a hard time believing in you, despite what he may say. He doesn't truly feel that you can save us. I can't seem to make him certain of your abilities, Ayumu, but you have to." Ayumu nodded and saw a sight more unrealistic than any other: Eyes smiling. It wasn't a smirk or a knowing grin, it was a full fledged smile that lit up his face, "Thank you, Ayumu." Eyes disappeared as well, leaving only Kanone.

Ayumu walked over and sat next to Kanone, putting his arm around the other man, "Kanone, why don't you believe in me? You're the only one left, how can you not be satisfied with the results?"

"Where have they gone, though, Ayumu?" Kanone asked. Ayumu hesitated, he had a point. Where had they gone? Ayumu just assumed that it had been somewhere good, but why had they left, "I always told Eyes that the Blade Children were children that were not meant to live, but I thought if we could be saved then we would be allowed life. It turns out that the opposite is true."

"You think they're dead?" Ayumu asked quietly. Then shook his head, "No way, I don't know how I know, but I am certain that they aren't dead. I couldn't possibly have done anything to hurt them, Hiyono and Kousuke especially; I think it's impossible for me to even imagine hurting them. I believed that I could save you and then they started to disappear. It was my will that sent them away, but I would never send them to another world where I couldn't be with them. Kanone, I love you, and I promise that if you just place your trust in me, I won't betray it. Just believe in me."

Kanone hesitated but finally let go of his doubt. He started to glow, "It feels so peaceful. So this is what Kiyotaka meant, about the happiness of those who believe. I always assumed he was talking in riddles. I finally understand, though. Thank you, Ayumu." Kanone leaned over to gently kiss Ayumu who returned the affection. Not long after Kanone disappeared and Ayumu was all alone.

_"A whole month, it's been a whole month since I've seen them."_ Ayumu thought. He sighed as he looked down at his watch, "Great, I'm going to be late..._again_." Ayumu started jogging towards his destination...work. After the Blade Children had disappeared, Ayumu didn't know what to do. He just moped around for about a week in a state of depression, but then realized that he needed money. Eyes had supported them all while they were living there, but now he was gone with the rest of them. Ayumu had considered just moving in with his parents and brother, but then he would have lost the only thing he had left of the Blade Children. He knew it was foolish, but he had still hoped that they would come back.

Kiyotaka hadn't been much help, either. Ayumu had explained what had happened and Kiyotaka had just shrugged and said, "I never said what would happen afterwards. I only assured you that they would be freed from their curse. And they were, correct?" Yes, they were. But Ayumu had no idea how to get in contact with them.

"I only did it because I thought that everything would be okay. I never would have done anything if I thought I would lose them." He thought back to his promise to Kanone,_ "I told him that everything would be okay if he just trusted me, but now..."_ Nothing was okay now. And he was also at work; this day couldn't have gotten worse if it had tried.

"Late again, Narumi? What's the excuse this time?" His boss, Mike, questioned him.

"No excuse, sir, just over slept again." Ayumu answered, putting on his apron. He had gotten a job at some classy restaurant as the head chef. He had been a waiter for a day, but was soon bumped up to chef because he had taken over one day when their former head chef had gotten sick.

"You're lucky you have so many people requesting your meals, or else you'd be out of here!" Mike yelled at him, "Of course, if you're not here, then you can't satisfy your customers..."He began.

"I get it, I won't be late again." Ayumu assured him and got to work cooking whatever he was told to cook. A few hours into it, Ayumu noticed his boss standing at the kitchen door, "What is it, now? I haven't been out of the kitchen long enough to be late again."

"Very funny. One of our waitresses apparently fainted so I need you to take the next order out, okay?"

"She fainted?" Ayumu asked, concerned. There were only a few waitresses in the restaurant and Ayumu knew them all pretty well, "Who was it? What happened?"

"Are you a chef or a detective?" Mike asked, "It was Jen. Apparently one of our guests is some kind of celebrity and she's a big fan."

Ayumu nodded, that made sense; Jen had a huge crush on a number of celebrities and got overexcited every time one of them came to the restaurant. Ayumu hated the famous people, they were all incredibly stuck up. Even Rutherford, when Ayumu had first met him, was arrogant, "Alright, I'll take it out in a second." Ayumu finished cooking his current meal and turned the stove off. He looked at the order he needed to take out and sighed, turns out it was a celebrity and about 10 friends, all who had ordered three course meals. Ayumu carefully stacked all the food he possibly could onto one of the sturdier trays and started to carry it out to the table. Without looking at the table's occupants, Ayumu sat the food down on the table, they could find out for themselves who had what, "The rest of your food will be out in a minute." He informed them and then turned on his heel and walked back into the kitchen to get the rest of the food.

The occupants of the table started to chuckle. Well, most of them did, and then a voice was heard over the laughs, "He has no idea, does he?"


	39. Chapter 39

Ayumu brought the rest of the meal out and finally glanced up, "Can I get you anything...else?" He stared at the people he had just served, _"It's them. They're all here...they ordered a lot of food."_

Kousuke was the first one to speak, "Hey, Ayumu, miss me?" Ayumu could only nod, he was completely blindsided. Where had they been this past month? Why hadn't they contacted him? Who ordered all of that food? Kousuke grinned and pulled Ayumu onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him, "I missed you, too." He whispered.

Ayumu regained his train of thought and looked at the redhead, "Where have you been? It's been a whole month since I've seen you, what were you doing?"

Kousuke looked at the others who all traded uncomfortable glances. The former looked back to Ayumu and sighed, "We haven't been doing much...Just hanging out mostly." He answered honestly, "When we disappeared from the apartment, we woke up at some laboratory. We got out of there as soon as we could, and came back here."

"But...where have you been since then? If you haven't been doing anything, then...why didn't you come back to me?" Ayumu asked, sadly. Did he do something to drive them away?

"It was Kanone." Kousuke told him, "He didn't want to come back."

"What?" Ayumu looked up to see that Kanone wasn't there with the rest of them. He also noticed Hiyono was missing, "Where's Hiyono?"

"She's with Kanone. He said that he didn't want his daughter around a liar."

Ayumu was confused, "What did I lie about?"

Kousuke shrugged, "He won't talk to any of us, even Eyes, he just sits there, staring out the window."

"Even if Kanone didn't want to see me, why didn't you try to contact me? I've been worried sick about all of you."

Kousuke frowned, "I didn't mean to worry you, but we all decided that it would be best to not contact you until Kanone was ready. He didn't want to come today, but if you come with us, he says he'll talk to you."

Ayumu hesitated, if he left now, he would surely lose his job. But did he need work anymore? He wasn't sure so he went with the need to make everything okay between him and Kanone, "Alright, let's go."

Kousuke hesitated, "Ummm, can we eat first?" Ayumu sighed and grinned a little. He started to get up, but Kousuke stopped him, "Hey, where are you going? We ordered food for you, too."

_"So that's why they ordered so much."_ Ayumu decided to get his own chair; bad things could happen when you got in between Kousuke and his food.

After an hour or so of straight eating and telling his boss that he was quitting, Ayumu and the others made their way outside, "So where have you guys been staying?" Ayumu asked.

"Rutherford got us a place a little way from here." Kousuke told him.

As they all started to walk towards the Blade Children's temporary home, Ayumu fell in step with Eyes, "So, Kanone hasn't said anything to you?"

Eyes shook his head, he didn't look all that worried, but Ayumu could tell he was, "He hasn't said much since we've been back. Only that you lied to him and that he would never trust you again."

This caught Ayumu's attention, "Where exactly did you guys end up?"

Eyes hesitated, obviously not wanting to talk about whatever had happened or whatever they had seen, "It was like Kousuke said, some sort of laboratory; there were...experiments going on there."

"Experiments? What kind of experiments?"

"Perhaps Kanone could explain it better." Eyes said, avoiding the question all together. Ayumu nodded and decided not to push it.

A few minutes later they arrived at the hotel they were all staying at, _"Wow, they obviously weren't planning on staying long."_ Ayumu thought, _"They aren't even staying in an apartment."_

Rio was first in the door, "Kanone, were home!" She yelled. She entered the fairly small living room, followed by Ryoko, Kousuke, Ayumu, and Eyes.

Instead of hearing Kanone, Hiyono answered Rio, "Welcome home! Did you guys have a good time?" Her sight traveled over the group and landed on Ayumu. Hiyono walked up to him, cautiously, "Daddy?" Ayumu nodded and Hiyono smiled brightly, "Daddy, you're home!" Hiyono ran over to hug him and Ayumu picked her up, "Where have you been, I missed you!"

Ayumu smiled, "I missed you, too, Hiyono. Don't worry, I'm back now. How have you been?"

"I've been great, but daddy isn't doing to well." Ayumu knew that she was talking about Kanone.

The latter then entered to see what the commotion was all about, "Hello, Ayumu." He said bitterly, his eyes that were usually so friendly were now glowing with betrayal.

Ayumu set Hiyono down and walked over to Kanone, "Hello, Kanone. I think we need to talk." Kanone nodded and Ayumu followed him into his bedroom, "Kanone, why are you so angry at me?"

"Because you lied. You told me to trust you, and I did."

"But what's the problem? Everyone is fine as far as I can tell."

"We're not hurt, if that's what you mean." Kanone answered, standing up as Ayumu sat next to him on the bed.

Ayumu saw this and sighed, "Eyes told me that there were some kind of experiments going on, is that what you're upset about?"

Kanone shook his head, "You wouldn't understand, Ayumu, and you're lucky for that. We all saw some horrible things down there. I don't know why we were sent there, but you told me that it was your will that sent us to that place. How can you expect me to be okay with knowing that you sent us there?"

Ayumu was dumbfounded at how close minded Kanone was being, "You think I sent you there on purpose? Why would I do that, Kanone?"

Kanone shook his head, "I don't know, Ayumu. But whether it was consciously or unconsciously, you _did_ send us there."

"How can you accuse me of sending you to a place that I've never been to? I did everything in my power to help you, Kanone, and you _still_ found something wrong with that. I did my best, and I never thought that you would be this cold towards someone trying to help you." Ayumu thought about what he had just said and realized that it wasn't true; Kanone never accepted help from anyone.

As if reading his mind, Kanone snapped, "I never wanted your help, Ayumu. I told you once that there was no way that you could save us, and it turns out I was right. Despite us being freed from our curse, we're still bound to our destiny."

"What are you talking about? What destiny?"

Kanone sighed, "You saved us, Ayumu. We owe you our lives, and we are bound to repay that debt. Until we do, we cannot have peace of mind."

"But why? I don't want your lives in my hands; I just want you to be happy."

"We are the Blade Children, Ayumu, we are not meant for happiness or hope. Only despair."

These words sent a chill up Ayumu's spine, "So what am I supposed to do now?"

"There is nothing you can do. Despite you trying to help, you've only made matters worse."

"There has to be something, there's always something. If I've brought about this fate that has doomed you, then shouldn't that be enough to repay your debt to me?"

Kanone smirked at the irony, "You've saved us only to destroy us?"

Ayumu milled over these words, "But...I don't _want_ to destroy you. If you owe me your lives, then you also owe me everything else. You owe me your hope and your despair, your pain and your happiness."

"But to us, you are already all of those things." Kanone pointed out, "Yet we still owe you something."

"Then the question is, what can you give me to replace your lives?" Ayumu questioned.

Kanone nodded knowingly, he had already figured it out. Kanone was a mastermind at puzzles and riddles, though Kiyotaka's words had stumped him for a while. When you took away everything else, all emotion and feeling, what was left? The essence of life itself; the Blade Children owed Ayumu their souls. Realizing this, Kanone felt a slight tingly feeling and he started to glow again. It was the same as before, but instead of disappearing, Kanone stayed in the room and the light flew to Ayumu. It engulfed him and then seemed to sink into his skin, making Ayumu himself glow for a moment. A second later, five identical lights flew in through the closed door and seeped into Ayumu as well.

Confused, Ayumu looked to Kanone, "What just happened?" Ayumu was a little slower than Kanone on the riddle thing and sometimes needed to be given hints, though he always figured it out in the end.

"I figured out what I could give you, my essence, my soul." Kanone answered, "You already have every other part of me, of all of us, with you. That was the only missing thing."

"But...don't you need you soul?" Ayumu asked, hesitantly.

Kanone thought about, "No...I don't think so. Not as long as you're close to us and always keep us in your thoughts."

"How can you be so sure that that will be enough?" All of a sudden, the two heard a soft melody coming from the other room. They walked out to see Rio, Ryoko, Hiyono, and Kousuke sitting on the couch. Eyes was playing a piano that Ayumu had failed to notice earlier and had his eyes closed, but it seemed to be more in peace that in concentration.

Kanone smiled and grabbed Ayumu's hand, leading him over to the couch. They sat down and listened to the beautiful melody that was drifting off of the professional's fingertips. Kanone leaned over and whispered his answer to Ayumu's question, "I believe."


	40. Chapter 40

Kanone woke up in a cold sweat, sitting straight up in his bed, panting. Next to him, vibrant, blue eyes opened lazily at the movement next to him. Eyes turned over to face Kanone, and studied his lover, "Are you alright?" he asked, noticing that the older one seemed very distraught.

"I...I'm fine." Kanone said, not very convincingly.

Eyes didn't like the look he saw on Kanone's face. He had only seen that look one other time, "Nightmare?" he asked, which was confirmed with a nod, "About..." he trailed off, not sure what to call that place...hell? It certainly seemed like it.

Kanone got what he was talking about, and nodded, _"Why? Why would I have that nightmare now?"_ he wondered. The same place they had ended up after they had disappeared in front of Ayumu's eyes that night. It had been only a month ago, but everyone had already forgotten the entire ordeal. Now, though, this nightmare that he had brought back horrid memories that Kanone wished he didn't have.

_Flashback_

_Kanone's eyes slowly opened, and he rolled onto his back, groaning. Slowly, he sat up, and surveyed his surroundings quickly. Seeing no major threats, he glanced to the form next to him, and started shaking it, "Eyes, wake up." he said in a hushed voice, not wanting to speak too loudly for fear of alerting something to their presence._

_After a few more moments of shaking his husband's shoulder, Kanone was finally rewarded with a soft groan as piercing blue eyes snapped open in alarm. He quickly sat up, wincing slightly at the pain in his rib cage where his seventh rib was missing. He looked around the pitch black room, and finally adjusted his eyes, turning them from blue to yellow. He glanced to the older one to see he had made the same transition, "Where are we?" he asked, slowly standing up._

_Kanone followed suit, "I can see about as much as you can." he replied. Though their cat-like eyes did help in darkened surroundings, not even the felines themselves can see in a darkness like this; it seemed almost consuming the way that it thrived around them, feeding off their uncertainties. Almost as if it were a man made darkness, created especially to keep the Blade Children blinded._

_Several more groans were heard, and ten minutes later, six sets of glowing yellow eyes were looking at each other. Finally, Kanone ventured a little farther into the darkness, feeling his way around. The others quickly followed suit, searching for a light switch of some sort. Then, as consuming and foreboding as the darkness had come, it was swept away in a flash of light as Ryoko stumbled upon the light switch._

_Their eyes quickly adjusted back to their normal colors, and the six turned to each other, and gazed upon a sight more horrid than their worst nightmares. Hiyono buried her face into Kanone's shirt, who held the girl's head close to him, "Shh, it's alright, dear." he whispered, though his own voice was cracking from the sight before him._

_Blood. It was everywhere. Spilt onto the tile floors, splashed onto the white walls, even soaking through the ceiling, signaling even more gruesome happenings on floors above this one. The room was far from empty, and Kanone was surprised that no one had run into anything with the cluttered mess that lay before them. Papers were scattered all over the floor, charts and notes written about the experiments going on in the building. Machines that appeared to have run those tests that the charts were referring to were long ago put out of use, and were now crackling with electricity._

_What might be most noticeable were the giant containers lining the walls of the room. 20 glass containers, reaching from the floor to nearly half way up the 30 foot walls, filled with a murky green substance that resembled polluted lake water ran along three of the walls, excluding the one wall that contained the light switch, door, and other electrical outlets. It was very obvious they were once used to keep something, though what was beyond any of the Blade Children's imaginations, alive for further experiments and testing._

_Though, once your attention was taken from that, it would most likely turn to perhaps the most horrifying sight that particular room had to offer. In the middle of the giant room there was a single, metal table that resembled a stretcher. Straps had been added to the table, as had wheels for restraint of the experimentee and mobility of the table. On top of the table, was a sheet, very clearly covering something. The material may have been white at one time, though it would be impossible to tell giving that the entire length of it was soaked in the blood of whatever had fallen victim to these gruesome experiments. The straps were still buckled, holding the thing in place, and the wheels seemed to have been locked, suggesting that whatever was going on had taken quite a long time._

_Kanone noticed one thing dreadfully eery about the whole situation, and that was the dripping of blood off of the table onto the already blood soaked floor. Dripping blood meant there was something bleeding, and everyone in that room, save Hiyono, knew that something bleeding was something alive. Taking a deep breath, Kanone handed Hiyono to Eyes, who took her and mimicked his lover's motion of holding her head close to his chest, as to not let her see the horrors of that room. Slowly, but surely, Kanone stepped into the middle of the room, and approached the table. Every single eye in that room, other than the two that were tightly closed and pressed against Eyes' chest, was on Kanone as he grasped the very edge of the blood-soaked sheet. His face was emotionless as the crimson substance spread onto the fingers that it touched, and in one swift motion, he ripped the sheet off, letting it come to rest on the floor by his feet._

_The once stoic face turned into an expression of complete horror and disgust. He heard Ryoko whimper slightly, and Rio gasp at the sight. Even Eyes' face faltered slightly and he swallowed hard, but kept his gaze glued to the form on the table. If it could even be called a form...What might have once been a human being was laying, strapped to the table, the large, leather, black straps biting into what might have once been flesh. It looked as if the skin had been stripped from the, what Kanone could only was a, girl; her entire body was soaked in her own blood. Her face, though still intact was right out of a horror movie; stitches ran up both sides and across her face and forehead. Her hair's color was undeterminable having been soaked with blood, most likely from the incisions made upon her face and chest._

_Her stomach made even Kanone nearly sick to gaze upon. From her diaphragm down was split open, and her intestines had either been removed or cut open, for god knows what reason. The rest of her was no different, covered in blood and stitched up. Why whoever cut her apart in the first place put her back together was beyond Kanone's understanding, but he wondered if they were done yet, seeing as how she still had her midsection ripped open, _"Perhaps they found something interesting..."_ Kanone thought, and wondered what would possess someone to defile another's body like this, and who this girl was and what she had done to deserve such a fate._

_No one had spoken in the longest time, so when Kousuke finally did, nearly everyone in the room jumped, "Hey, Kanone...look at this." he said, motioning to one of the machines he had been standing by._

_Kanone joined him, and saw that there were x-rays of several parts of the girl's body. The one that Kousuke was holding up interested Kanone the most, mostly because it the area that was still split open. His olive green eyes gazed over the x-ray, not noticing anything particularly interesting, until he glanced over the ribcage. More specifically, a certain spot on the right side. What he saw there made him drop the x-ray and stumble back a few steps. Eyes looked at him worriedly, "Kanone?"_

_"Are you alright?" Rio asked, finally finding her voice._

_Kanone slowly nodded his head, then turned to gaze upon the girl's mangled form, "She...she was a Blade Child." he informed the others._

_"You're sure?" Ryoko asked, not wanting to believe that someone would do this._

_Kanone nodded once more, and turned his attention to the papers scattered on the floor. One small notebook in particular grabbed his attention, and was as blood-free as anything else in that room. He flipped to the first readable page, and silently read the entry there:_

_**June 28, 2006**_

_We have finally captured another of the cursed children, and hopefully this one will prove to be more useful in our experiments. He seems to be more cooperative than the last, so I have high hopes for him. Testing will begin immediately._

_**August 19, 2006**_

_We may be running into difficulties with the new Blade Child. Due to such a young age, it is hard to tell the effects of his curse as of yet. While he is missing the trademark 7th rib bone, his blood is coming back negative in all tests. If he truly is a Blade Child, then he is not exhibiting the more dominant traits as of yet. Perhaps 5 is too young of an age to experiment. If so, perhaps it is too young of an age for us to hunt them?_

_Kanone's eyes widened at this last entry, _"Five years old? How could they do such a thing?"_ he wondered, _"So, this place was run by the Hunters, and they did these...experiments."_ Shaking his head in disgust at the Hunters, he read on._

_**January 12, 2007**_

_We've made...a horrible error. The boy...he wasn't a Blade Child. Apparently some accident resulted in a loss of his seventh rib...How could we have overlooked this so horribly? This will not be taken lightly. If word ever reaches the others, there could be disaster ahead for this company. We pledged to protect people, not destroy them...We're no better than those cursed children now. We must redeem ourselves, we must find out the Blade Children's weakness._

_"An innocent boy?" Kanone thought, glancing over to Eyes, who was holding Hiyono, "No older than my own daughter..." He shook the thought of Hiyono being part of the Hunter's experiments, and turned his attention to the latter part of the entry, "Weakness? They were trying to find a physical weakness to use against us?" Kanone glared at the body on the table, "Is that why they stopped, have they found something?"_

_**March 23, 2007**_

_We have captured another one. We must be certain this time that she is one of the cursed children. If we make another mistake like last time, I fear that the guilt will be too much for me._

_**April 18, 2007**_

_After many, many tests, we have come to the conclusion that this girl is indeed a Blade Child. Other than her missing rib bone, she showed several other traits of a Blade Child, and even dared to ask if we were Hunters. Yes, she is surely a Blade Child, and almost at her end as well. Her death will give us new information to bring destruction upon the cursed children. If we do not learn of a weakness soon, it may be too late. I will not give up hope, though, I believe that these monsters can be stopped, and I will dedicate my life to finding those means._

_**May 30, 2007**_

_I hate to admit that we are failing to make any progress with the newest captive. We have refrained from drugging her, as to not alter the test results, but the restraints alone aren't enough to keep her still. I fear if she continues like this, she will bring too much harm to herself and will interfere with our testing, perhaps halt it all together. That may prove fatal for us, and is a possibility we cannot afford to overlook._

_**July 10, 2007**_

_We have finally found a way to restrain the Blade Child so that she remains still enough for us to experiment on her. It was quite a simple method, and I feel foolish for not thinking of it earlier. It seems that the surrounding ribs above and below the missing one act as a sort of achellies heel to the Blade Children; especially those more influenced by pain. If the proper amount of pressure is applied to either of those ribs, it seems to stop all movement entirely. It also seems to put her in a great deal of pain, but that is not what we are concerned with. Perhaps this new development will lead to a fool proof method of stopping the Blade Children on a larger scale?_

_**October 25, 2007**_

_As the day quickly approaches, I fear that we will not find a fool proof method to stopping these cursed children before it's too late. We have been hesitant to kill her because it will interfere with the test results, especially concerning her blood work. So far, nothing useful has come back from the lab, and we are hoping that more extensive testing will provide us with more efficent answers._

_**September 1, 2007**_

_I am certain now that all our efforts have been in vain. We have been working round the clock to find some method that works one hundred percent of the time, but we are starting to fear there is no stopping these creatures. Perhaps... perhaps we should have focused our efforts more on hunting them rather than experimenting. Though, regretting our actions now won't give us the time we need. While there are those that have worked hard to eliminate the Blade Children by simply killing them, the majority of us have been in this laboratory for so long, we forget what the outside world looks like. We've heard word from the outside, though, that the attempts made by others have been unsuccessful as well. Is there really no stopping them? If so, then is mankind doomed to suffer at their hands? I fear tomorrow, so unsure of what is to come. We have not killed the Blade Child yet, but have kept her alive to see what effects the Sacred Day has on her._

"Sacred Day?"_ Kanone thought, _"What could that be?"_ It was obvious that today was this Sacred Day, but what was so sacred about it?_

_**September 2, 2007**_

_The day is finally here. The Sacred Day. I only received an explanation of this day myself a year ago. Ever since then, I have worked non stop to make sure the predetermined events never came about. It seems it was futile to fight against what is so clearly our fate. I wish I had seen this truth sooner, but I cannot wait in regret any longer. If today is the day that I am to die, than so be it. I will accept my fate with open arms._

_The restraints held, amazingly, but she put up quite a fight. It was amazing to watch, from a safe distance, of course. It started around 11:00 a.m., she struggled against her restraints, crying out in pain and agony. From what, we will never be certain. That had lasted nearly an hour, then she stopped moving completely, and we all hoped for the best; perhaps she, and all the Blade Children around the world were dying right this moment. Unfortunately, those hopes were shot down as she opened her eyes once more. I'm not certain of their color before this incident, but they were a glowing yellow when she opened them again. Soon, she started struggling again, but this time was different than the last. The first time she was writhing in pain, this time she simply seemed to want to be released. Once again, we will never be certain what for, but we can only guess it was to slaughter us. We waited a good half hour and she never stopped, very persistent. We finally silenced her, quickly and painlessly; she had suffered enough already. After running a few more tests, someone pointed out a very interesting fact. It appeared that where her seventh rib bone was missing, it had grown back! We're almost certain that this occurred during that first hour. Though, what conclusions to make from this, we are clueless._

_The entries stopped there, and Kanone dropped the book to the floor, _"It grew back?"_ he thought, _"They were here...today. Moments before we appeared, where did they go?"_ Of course, his first thoughts traveled to the upper floors, though what he would find up there, he had no idea. If there was enough blood to soak through the floors, then he wasn't sure he wanted to see. He definitely didn't want the others to see, and was satisfied with not knowing this one thing. Though, the little voice in the back of his head told him he already knew, and it wasn't good._

_Turning to the others, he realized they were all waiting for him to explain what had happened, and what he read, "Well?" Kousuke asked, impatient as always._

_Kanone hesitated, "Nothing that I could understand." he lied, "A bunch of experiments, but nothing of any merit. Just a crazy man's writing." He hated to lie to them, but he knew they would be better off naive to the entire thing. The horrible things that had happened; they'd seen and knew enough already. Heading towards the door, Kanone yanked it open to be welcomed by a rush of cool night air. Surprised that the exit was this simple to find, but also extremely thankful, Kanone turned to the others, "We should go." he suggested. The others nodded, and followed him out of that hell._

_End Flashback_

_"I was so hard on Ayumu, yelling at him because he sent us to that place, when perhaps I should have been greatful to him. Everything I saw there...it opened up my eyes to a lot of things." _Kanone thought. He realized that all of his efforts had been useless as well. Trying to kill Ayumu and show Eyes the truth. Kanone realized he was a fool; he hadn't known the entire truth to begin with, how could he have possibly tried to show it to anyone? No wonder Eyes thought he was crazy.

Eyes shook Kanone gently, now worried about his husband, "Kanone?" he repeated once more.

Snapping back to reality, Kanone smiled at Eyes, "Sorry, just thinking."

"You're alright?" he asked, not convinced.

The other man sighed, and laid down, wrapping himself in Eyes' arms, "I am now." he replied. He felt Eyes tighten the hug for a moment, and knew why. Kanone had never explained what he had learned down there, but Eyes knew it must have been horrible to haunt him for so long. Finally relaxing, Eyes drifted off to sleep once more, leaving Kanone alone with his thoughts, _"The girl's rib grew back, but mine didn't. In fact, none of ours did."_ he thought, then suddenly felt cheated and angry at Ayumu. Their missing rib bone marked them as Blade Children; if they had gone through the hour's worth of pain and gotten that missing part back, then would that have meant they were no longer cursed? Did that mean they were truly able to live? He knew it was foolish, but he felt jealous of the Blade Children who had become whole. Then again,_ "The report also mentioned that the girl went just this side of crazy, and if she hadn't been in her restraints, then she most likely would have killed them all; I can believe that. We, however, didn't get the urge to kill at all. Perhaps gaining our rib bone back came with a price."_ If that were true, then Kanone couldn't thank Ayumu enough. He then realized that being sent there, and learning all of this, pointed to the conclusion that their seventh rib bone was missing for a reason, and getting it back could prove fatal. Perhaps there was a reason Ayumu sent them there, whether he knew it or not; perhaps it had all turned out for the best. Smiling to himself, Kanone decided on that, and snuggled into Eyes' warm embrace, _"Thank you, Ayumu."_

And there you have it. I combined the first two chapters, so now it's only 40 chapters instead of 41. I suppose that's all I have to say. Thanks again for reading!


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